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SONGS  OF  THE  VALIANT  VOIVODE. 


ONGS    OF    THE 
VALIANT  VOIVODE 

AND  OTHER  STRANGE  FOLK-LORE 
FOR  THE  FIRST  TIME  COLLECTED 
FROM  ROUMANIAN  PEASANTS  AND 
SET  FORTH  IN  ENGLISH  $©>   So   §o 

BY 

HELENE  VACARESCO 

WHO  ALSO  COLLECTED  THE  ROUMANIAN 
FOLK-SONGS  PUBLISHED  UNDER  THE  TITLE 
OF  "THE  BARD  OF  the  dimbovitza"  3* 


NEW  YORK 
CHARLES  SCRIBNER'S  SONS 


(,&s-4Lm- 


TO  MY  DEAR  COUSIN 

ANNA  MARIA  VACARESCO 

THIS  BOOK  IS  DEDICATED 
BY  THE  AUTHOR 

HELENE  VACARESCO 


DEDICATORY  EPISTLE. 

DearJousin, 

'hese  tales  and  legends  of  our  dear  country  belong 
to  you  b  right  of  inheritance  and  by  birthright  too.  For 
months  have  wandered  from  village  to  village  and 
gathered  he  strange  sweet  stories;  they  grow  like  flowers 
in  the  wie  domains  that  bear  our  name.  Besides,  are  they 
not  our  acestors,  and  do  they  not  still  live  in  our  blood, 
all  the  hadsome  and  gallant  Voivodes  (Princes  and  chief- 
tains), a  the  lovely  Princesses  whose  images  will  adorn 
these  paps  ?  The  great  success  obtained,  both  in  England 
and  on  t:  Continent,  by  "The  Bard  of  the  Dimbovitza*' 
has  encoraged  me  to  use  the  same  method  this  time. 
You  wiinot  find  here  one  single  tale  that  is  already  in- 
closed ii  the  books  of  our  learned  and  patient  folk-lore 
searchers  They  are  as  new  to  the  public  as  if  they  had 
not  lain  >r  centuries  in  the  souls  of  our  country-people. 
You  kno-  how  peculiarly  proud  and  graceful  is  the  stature 
of  a  Romanian  peasant  against  the  golden  sky  of  our 
native  lad,  and  how  much  he  still  retains  in  his  mind 
and  his  wrds  the  love  of  imaginative  creation,  of  symbols 
and  of  sog. 

And   viereas,    in    most   parts  of  Europe,   the    simple 
vii 


Vlll 


charms  of  country  life,  the  ancient  customs  and  rites,  are 
fast  trodden  down  and  hushed  to  silence  by  their  great 
foe,  civilization;  here  you  find  them  as  alive  and  fresh  as 
in  the  Virgilian  days,  when  they  delighted  mankind.  Dacia 
survives  herself  still  in  the  very  descendants  of  her  con- 
querors, the  Romans.  These  tales  are  therefore  both  Latin, 
Dacian  and  Asiatic,  while  the  mysticism  of  the  Slavonic 
race  may  sometimes  be  traced  in  them.  When,  many 
centuries  ago,  our  great  ancestor  left  his  Transylvanian 
dukedom,  and  rode  with  his  peers  and  warriors  to  take 
possession  of  this  land,  he  not  only  endowed  our  national 
history  with  one  of  its  most  thrilling  and  glorious  adventures, 
but  also  shed  a  glamour  over  the  inspiration  of  our  bards. 
To  those  beautiful  and  entrancing  days  we  are  indebted  for 
the  love  of  valour  and  the  love  of  love  you  will  trace  in 
every  one  of  our  popular  legends.  Besides,  it  seems  that 
among  the  hardships  of  a  destiny  which  for  ages  has 
weighed  heavily  on  this  patient  and  ever-striving  nation, 
through  the  darkness  of  battle  and  the  terror  of  losing  the 
unequalled  treasure,  Freedom,  the  inmates  of  this  agitated 
land  have  found  in  their  imagination  the  power  to  build 
an  ideal  world  in  which  they  lived  far  from  the  troubles 
of  their  real  existence,  and  also  an  ideal  of  justice  and 
beauty.  You  will  note  here  that  kings  and  conquerors, 
warriors  and  heiducks,  empresses  and  fairies,  are  ever 
generous,  brave,  and  fair  to  behold,  and  that  they  carefully 
protect  from  evil  the  high  gifts  they  have  received  from 
nature  in  their  very  cradles.    And  the  creature  whose  part 


IX 

is  to  deal  unkindly,  or  to  bring  woe  and  strife,  wears  a 
terrible  aspect  from  the  beginning  of  the  tale  to  its  end. 
Take  then  the  precious  book,  my  dear  child,  and  may  you 
love  to  read  it  as  I  have  loved  to  hear,  and  may  you  admire, 
as  I  have  admired,  the  spontaneous  rush  of  such  a  deep 
and  sacred  fountain. 

Helene  Vacaresco. 
Vacaresci. 


CONTENTS. 

PAGE 

Dedicatory  Epistle vii 

The  Handsome  Voivode  ;  or,  The  Garden  where  who- 
soever entered  looked  fair   ...      * I 

Mariora;  or,  The  Daughter  of  the  Wind 15 

The  Moldavian  Princess  and  the  Fairy 21 

The  Wooden  Spindle  and  my  Lady  Death     ....  28 

The  Shepherd  and  the  Heiduck 35 

The  Enchanted  Palace  between  the  Enchanted  Trees .  43 

Mihai ;  or,  The  Son  of  the  Dragon 51 

The  White  Serpent  and  the  Little  Beggar  Girl  ...  63 

The  Wicked  King 70 

The  Willows'  Daughter 82 

The  Four  Princesses  and  their  Crimson  Slippers      .     .  90 

The  Little  Blue  Glass  Ring 98 

The  Fairy  and  the  Waterfall 103 

Dragomira in 

The  Young  Prince  who,  born  of  a  Rose-tree,  became  a 

Rose-tree  himself 118 

The  Knife  and  the  Wind ;  or,  The  Girl  who  was  thrice 

betrothed 133 

The  Emperor  and  the  Mouse 146 

The  Legend  of  the  Lilac  Flower 162 

The  Two  Robbers  and  their  Brother  the  Devil  .     .      .  170 

The  Stolen  Pig 181 

xi 


xii  Contents. 

PAGI 

The  Mantle 185 

Thisca ;  or,  The  Marvellous  Stone 189 

The  Shirt.    A  Tzigane  Tale 197 

The  Church  Builder 201 

Barbu  and  the  Raven.    A  Tzigane  Tale 212 

Sister  Life  and  Sister  Death 216 

The  Tzigane,  the  Voivode,  and  the  Enchanted  Whistle  220 

Hie  and  Pauna 227 

The  Tzigane  and  his  Wife 235 


SONGS  OF  THE  VALIANT  VOIVODE. 
THE  HANDSOME  VOIVODE; 

OR, 
THE  GARDEN  WHERE  WHOSOEVER  ENTERED  LOOKED  FAIR. 

The  man  who  sat  near  our  gate  in  the  dusk 
Had  just  returned  from  his  labour ', 

And  twilight  loves  the  man  who  has  laboured  all  day, 
And  twilight  said  to  me :  "  Tell  him  a  tale, 
And  he  will  forget  his  weariness  while  thou  speakestT 

The  corn  is  ripe  at  the  foot  of  the  hills, 

But  in  the  plain  it  still  requires  the  sun. 

O  thou  who  ever  dr earnest  in  thy  sleep, 

And  whose  dreams  are  as  numerous,  love, 

As  the  leaves  on  the  tall  nut-tree,  love, 
Say,  hast  thou  never  dreamt  of  a  handsome  Voivodef 
Ah!  how  bright  is  his  life  and  how  handsome  is  he. 
He  sings  as  he  goes  to  the  battle, 

And  when  he  returneth  he  sings. 
The  women  all  pray  for  him  and  the  virgins, 

While  he  fights  and  laughs  at  the  fight. 


2  The  Handsome  Voivode. 

The  road  is  happy  where  his  shadow  falls , 
And  the  shadow  too  of  his  lance  and  horse. 

Say,  hast  thou  never  dreamt  of  some  handsome  Voivode? 
How  oft  I  see  a  Voivode  in  my  dreams, 
The  one  whose  tale  I'll  tell  thee  now. 

Ah  !  love,  I  would  have  loved  him  had  I  but  seen  his  face, 
For  he  was  brave  and  young  and  he  was  called  Boujor, 
And  he  never  went  to  the  battle  without  saying 
To  the  flowers  in  his  way, 
"  To-night  ye  will  drink  blood  instead  of  dew." 
And  Stana  the  young  maid  lived  not  far  from  Boujor, 
And  he  passed  by  her  window  every  morning, 

And  every  night  he  passed. 
What  does  a  young  maiden  when  a  fair  prince  passes? 
She  loves  the  fair  prince. 

Ah!  how  bright  is  the  life  of  a  Voivode ,  my  love! 
He  sings  as  he  goes  to  the  battle, 
And  when  he  returneth  he  sings. 

What  does  a  fair  prince  when  he  thinks  but  of  battles? 

He  passes  and  sees  not  the  young  maiden's  smile. 
And  Stana  night  and  day  talked  to  her  spindle, 

To  her  spindle  she  said:   "  O  be  quick !  " 
To  the  flax  in  her  fingers  she  said : 
u  Thou  wilt  be  my  shroud. 
Thou  seest  Boujor  as  he  passes, 

Thus  thou  wilt  speak  to  me  of  him  in  my  dear  tomb.  ' 


The  Handsome  Voivode. 

And  she  said  to  the  beads  on  her  necklace: 

"  Do  look  well  at  the  young  Voivode, 
Ye  will  speak  of  him  to  my  sleep." 

Stana  was  poor ; 
She  had  but  her  necklace,  her  spindle, 
Her  house  with  three  nut-trees  in  front, 

And  her  love  for  the  handsome  Boujor. 
One  day  that  the  Voivode  passed  by 

On  his  horse  quicker  e'en  than  the  fire, 
Stana  let  a  warm  tear  fall  and  dance  on  her  spindle. 

The  spindle  stopped. 
"Why  stoppest  thou,  swift  spindle? 
For  I  am  more  than  ever 
Bent  on  my  own  little  shroud. 
Run  on,  run  on,  like  the  Voivode's  high  horse, 
Run  on,  run  on,  like  his  shadow, 
Run  on,  run  on,  like  his  eyes, 
That  never  have  looked  upon  me." 
But  the  spindle  stood  still 

Quite  in  the  middle  of  the  room  still  and  straight. 
And  Stana  wondered, 
And  the  small  spindle  grew, 

And  the  black  spindle  whitened, 
And  the  small  spindle  grew 
Till  it  became  a  beautiful  young  fairy. 
And  she  wore  the  sun  on  her  bracelets 
And  in  her  earrings  bright; 


4  The  Handsome  Voivode. 

And  the  sun  glistened  in  her  hair. 
Her  dress  was  made  of  moonbeams, 
And  moved  on  her  body  like  water; 
Her  slippers  were  two  rose-leaves, 
And  her  arms  were  whiter  than  a  turtle-dove's  wing 
On  which  fresh  snow  has  fallen. 
And  Stana  thought :  "  She 's  fair  enough 

To  be  loved  by  Boujor," 
And  instead  of  admiring  she  hated. 
But  the  young  fairy  spoke : 
"  Stana,  thou  lovest  him,"  she  said, 
"  He's  a  Voivode  and  handsome; 
Thou  lovest  him  because  thy  fate 
Has  placed  thy  house  near  his  palace, 
And  because  he  is  young  and  brave. 

I  know  thy  sadness ;  thou  art  poor, 
And  thy  face,  though  sweet, 
Cannot  stop  on  his  way 

Boujor,  whose  horse  is  quicker  e'en  than  fire. 
So  come  with  me,  and  I  will  give  thee 

A  countenance  so  bright  that  he  will  love  thee. 
Thou  doubtest?  Why?  have  I  not  changed  thy  spindle 
slight 
Into  a  kind  young  fairy  ? 
So  come  with  me." 
And  she  took  Stana  by  the  hand. 
They  crossed  the  village, 

Where  children  played  around  the  well, 


The  Handsome  Voivode.  5 

And  Stana  saw 

That  where  a  cross  marked  the  place 
Where  the  dead  were  at  rest, 
Many  among  the  dead  lifted  their  tomb-stone 
To  see  them  pass. 

The  children  wondered  not, 
Because  all  children  live  in  dreams. 
And  they  crossed  the  plain  and  the  river, 
And  the  murmur  of  the  green  tall  maize, 
And  the  sigh  of  the  rushes  by  the  stream, 
And  the  moist  perfume  of  the  pebbles, 
On  which  the  waters  ever  roll, 
And  the  smell  of  the  stones  darkened  by  rain  and  dust, 
They  crossed  the  wrinkled  roads 
And  the  smooth  pathways, 

And  Stana  thought  they  seemed  to  walk  so  fast 
and  straight 
That  they  were  likely 
To  walk  into  the  red  heart  of  the  sun. 
The  fairy  touched  with  purple  wand 
The  red  heart  of  the  sun, 
And  the  heart  opened, 
And  lo !  a  beauteous  garden  was  there, 
Right  in  the  red  heart  of  the  sun. 
And  they  both  entered  the  strange  garden. 
u  See,"  said  the  fairy,  "  see  this  is  my  garden, 
And  in  the  languages  of  fairies  it  is  called 
The  garden  where  whosoever  enters  looks  fair. 


6  The  Handsome  Voivode. 

All  those  who  cross  this  threshold  become  fair. 
Look  at  the  flowers  made — " 

And  Stana  saw  wondrous  flowers; 
Some  were  of  diamonds  made,  others  of  clouds  at 
sunset,  and  others  seemed 
Made  with  the  purple  of  the  morning  sky, 
And  others  shone  like  mirrors, 
And  all  the  beauty  around 
Were  mirrored  in  them. 

And  Stana  looked  into  one  of  the  shining  flowers 
And  saw  herself  so  beautiful  therein 
That  her  heart  cried  aloud:  "Where  is  Boujor?  " 
"  There,"  said  the  fairy,  "  take  the  flower 
That  is  made  with  the  purple  of  dawn, 
And  throw  it  at  Boujor  when  he  passes. 
He  will  breathe  its  perfume, 
And  give  to  his  lords  and  warriors  to  breathe, 
And  he  will  fall  asleep  in  his  palace. 
Then  go  to  his  palace  by  night, 
Take  thy  beloved  in  thy  arms, 
And  take  his  high  horse  more  quick  even  than 
fire. 
Bide  here  with  him. 

See,  I  give  thee  my  wand, 
Thou  know'st  the  way, 
And  that  the  wand  must  hit 
Just  in  the  heart  of  the  sun. 
But  don't  forget  to  let  a  tear, 


"The  Handsome  Voivode.  J 

A  tear  of  love,  fall  on  the  fairy  wand, 
Or  else  maids'  woe  to  thee 
And  woe  to  thy  Boujor." 

Ah!   how  bright  is  the  life  of  a  handsome  Voivode, 
He  sings  as  he  goes  to  the  battle^ 
And  when  he  returneth  he  sings. 

The  women  pray  for  him  and  the  virgins, 
For  he  is  young  and  brave! 

Boujor  rode  his  high  horse  quick  as  fire, 
He  rode  with  his  warriors  and  lords, 
And  a  flower  struck  his  white  teeth, 
And  a  flower  fell  on  his  hand, 
"  See  how  strange  is  this  flower,  my  warriors ! 
O  breathe  its  perfume — it  is  strange — 
Let  every  man  who  now  rides  with  us 
Smell  the  flower,  and  wonder,  and  love, 
Let  those  with  whom  we  partake  every  peril 
Now  partake  of  the  wonderful  smell." 

And  the  flower  passed  from  peer  to  peer, 
And  the  flower  passed  from  warrior  to  warrior, 

And  they  all  slept,  such  a  deep  slumber  slept  all 
that  night, 

That  they  heard  not  the  maid 

Who  crossed  the  threshold 

Of  the  white  palace. 


8  'The  Handsome  Voivode. 

She  entered — 
In  the  first  chamber  she  saw 
On  the  rush  mattings 
Fine  daggers,  leather  belts,  and  lances. 
And  in  the  second  chamber 
On  green  rush  mattings 
Swords,  silken  belts,  fur  caps,  and  saddles. 

In  the  third  chamber  saw  she  on  the  walls 
The  images  of  saints  dressed  in  gold  and  silver 

mantles. 
And  in  the  fourth  chamber  the  Prince 
Slept,  guarded  by  a  golden  image, 
And  Stana  trembled 
To  see  her  beloved's  sweet  sleep, 
And  Stana  sighed 
To  see  him  thus  silent  and  fair. 
She  took  him  in  her  arms,  and  crossed 
The  slumbering  palace, 
She  went  to  the  stables  and  spoke 
To  the  high  horse  quick  as  fire. 
u  O  help  me,  gentle  horse, — I  love  Boujor, 
And  I  must  take  him 
To  the  enchanted  garden, 
Where  whoever  enters  looks  fair. 

Fain  would  I  be  beautiful  in  his  sight." 
And  she  threw  Boujor  to  the  saddle, 
And  she  sprung  to  the  saddle  with  him. 
When  the  sun  rose  she  plunged  the  wand 


The  Handsome  Voivode.  9 

Right  in  the  red  heart  of  the  sun. 
The  red  heart  opened, 
The  sweet  garden  was  there. 
But  Stana  had  forgot  to  weep  that  tear  of  love 
Which  the  fairy  had  told  her  to  weep, 
She  was  so  joyful. 
When  the  Prince  woke,  "  O  where  am  I,"  said  he, 
"  And  what  is  this  wonderful  garden  ? 
And  who  art  thou,  O  beautiful  child? 
For  I  love  thee, 
And  now  I  must  know  who  thou  art. 
Let  us  stay  here,  O  bright  fairy, 

O  let  us  never  depart." 
"  And  thy  leather  belts,  and  thy  lances, 

Thy  saddles,  thy  horses,  thy  swords. 

Thy  white  palace  full  of  great  warriors, 
Where  the  sound  of  thy  victories  floats." 
"  How  know'st  thou  my  palace,  my  warriors, 
My  victories,  my  horses,  my  swords? 
"  I  know  all,  yea,  I  know  even  Stana, 

Who  spins  at  her  window,  and  sighs, 
For  she  loves  the  Voivode  Boujor." 
"  Stana!  no,  I  do  not  remember, 
I  know  nought  of  the  sighing  maid. 

I  love  thee,  the  world  is  forgotten." 
Thus  three  days  they  spoke  of  their  love. 
The  sweet  flowers  were  their  servants  and  mirrors, 
The  sweet  flowers  were  their  stars  and  their  sun. 


io  The  Handsome  Voivode. 

But  the  third  day  Stana  began 
To  become  jealous 
Of  her  own  face  and  beauty. 
"  He  loves  me  not,"  she  said, 
"  He  loves  my  visage 
Which  is  not  mine, 
Which  the  enchanted  garden  gives." 
The  Voivode  marked  her  sadness,  and  he  asked, 
"  O  why  is  my  love  sad  ?  " 
"  I  pity  Stana,  the  poor  maid  who  loves  thee, 
And  who  will  die  because  she  loves." 


"  Stana,  my  love,  I  cannot  pity  Stana, 
I  cannot  pity  any  one  on  earth, 
Except  the  setting  sun 
That  for  so  many  hours 
Will  not  see  thy  bright  face. 
Stana,  my  love,  I  cannot  pity  Stana, 

I  cannot  pity  any  one  on  earth, 

But  my  own  youth  and  all  the  years  that 

passed  away 
Before  I  saw  thee." 

"  O  my  beloved  Boujor,  pity  my  lips, 

That  have  tasted  fresh  water  and  hot  tears, 
Before  thy  kiss  they  tasted, 
Pity  my  lips." 


The  Handsome  Voivode.  1 1 

The  high  horse  quicker  e'en  than  fire 
Said  to  the  maiden  the  third  day  : 

"  We  must  ride  fast  and  ride  away, 
There's  a  fight  near  the  tall  white  palace. 
And  the  warriors  all  search  Boujor. 
Weep  not,  we  will  return,  dear  maiden, 

Will  return  to  the  garden  dear." 
And  Boujor  breathed  the  purple  flower, 
And  the  Voivode  sank  to  sleep, 
And  woke  in  his  tall  white  palace. 


Stana  spins  at  her  window,  remembering 

Boujor  and  the  garden  and  .  .  .  love, 
And  her  spindle  fell  to  the  floor, 
And  the  small  spindle  grew, 
And  the  white  spindle  blackened, 
Till  it  became  a  black  dragon, 
Who  said  to  the  maid:  "  He  will  die; 

Yes,  the  Voivode  will  die 

If  thou  sayest  not  to  him 

The  secret  of  the  garden. 

Thou  hast  not  wept  that  love-tear,  girl; 

So  thy  beloved  must  die. 
But  if  thou  speakest,  sweet  death  will  come 

To  thee  alone." 

And  he  vanished. 


12  The  Handsome  Voivode. 

Ah!  how  bright  is  the  life  of  a  handsome  Voivode, 
He  sings  when  he  goes  to  the  battle, 
And  when  he  returneth  he  sings. 
'The  women  pray  for  him  and  the  maidens, 
Because  he  is  young,  brave,  and  fair. 

Yet  Boujor  the  handsome  Voivode  sang  no  more; 
Over  all  the  earth  he  had  searched 
For  the  garden  and  his  beloved. 
He  had  burnt  towns  and  palaces  down, 
And  made  prisoners  twenty  kings, 
And  yet  he  found  her  not. 
"  My  lance,  my  saddle,  and  my  tall  horse, 
Who's  quicker  e'en  than  fire, 
I  give  them  all 
To  him  who  tells  me 

Where  is  the  garden  strange, and  my  beloved  bride.' 
And  the  Voivode  was  pale, 
The  young  Voivode  was  dying. 
"  The  young  Voivode  is  dying,"  said  his  warriors, 
"  The  young  Voivode  is  dying,"  said  the  church-bells, 

And  in  every  church  his  people  wept  and  prayed. 
"  I  must  see  the  Voivode,  brave  warriors, 
I  am  Stana,  who  sighs  and  who  spins." 
"  Great  Prince,  a  young  girl  who  's  called  Stana, 
Asks  to  see  thee."    "  Then  let  her  come." 
"  I  know  thy  secret,  great  Voivode, 
I  know  thy  love. 


The  Handsome  Voivode.  i  3 

Great  Voivode,  look  not  in  my  visage 
While  I  speak  soft  to  thee. 

Great  Voivode,  I  am  thy  beloved, 
I  have  been  to  that  garden  with  thee." 
"  'Tis  true  thou  hast  her  voice, 

But  her  face,  oh,  where  is  her  face,  young  maiden  ? 
O  why  hast  thou  not  brought  back  her  face  to  me?" 
"  O  Boujor,  that  garden 's  enchanted, 
And  whosoever  enters  looks  fair. 
'Tis  a  fairy  garden,  my  Prince. 
There  I  took  thee  on  thy  own  tall  horse. 
Thou  hast  kissed  my  lips,  handsome  Prince. 
I  can  die,  thou  hast  kissed  my  lips." 

Stana  spins  at  her  lonely  window. 

"  Turn  quicker,  swift  spindle,  O  turn, 
I'm  in  a  hurry  for  my  little  shroud; 
Turn  quicker,  I'm  in  a  hurry." 

And  Stana  lay  dead,  and  the  maidens 

Wept  round  her  and  said:  "Thou  art  dead — 
Thou  might'st  have  been  a  sight  of  joy  and  beauty, 
And  now  thou  art  a  sight  of  cold  and  sleep. 
Thou  might'st  have  been  a  happy  spouse,  and  now 
With  the  fresh  snow  thou  wilt  vanish,  poor  maid." 
a  For  whom  do  the  maidens,  my  warriors, 
Sing  such  a  sad  sweet  death-dirge? " 

"  For  Stana  who  sighed  at  her  window, 
For  Stana  who  died  in  the  night." 


14  The  Handsome  Voivode. 

And  the  handsome  Voivode  rushed  out  of  his  white  palace, 
He  rushed  to  his  fiery  horse. 
He  rode  like  the  wind,  and  alighted 
At  Stana's  door. 
"  See  the  bright  Voivode,"  said  the  maidens, 

"  What  has  he  to  say  to  the  dead  ? " 
He  entered  the  room  where  she  slept  so  deep, 
And  he  kissed  her  long  on  forehead  and  lip, 
And  beneath  his  kiss  Stana  awoke  and  smiled, 
And  said,  "I  am  awakened." 
"  Come  to  my  white  palace,  maid ; 
Come,  be  the  Voivode's  own  spouse, 
For  I  love  thee!" 

Ah!  how  bright  is  the  life  of  a  handsome  Voivode. 
He  sings  when  he  goes  to  the  battle. 
And  when  he  returneth  he  sings, 
And  the  women  pray  for  him  and  the  maidens, 
For  he  is  young  and  brave! 


Mariora.  1 5 


MARIORA 


OR 


THE  DAUGHTER  OF  THE  WIND. 

Ah!  shut  the  door,  my  love, 

And  shut  the  window, 
Let  not  the  Wind  come  in  and  hear  my  talk. 
The  Wind  is  busy  with  the  rushes  now, 
There  near  the  river. 
But  if  he  hears  my  voice,  he  may  come  in 

To  hear  my  tale. 
Now  the  poor  dead  would  like  to  hear 
The  Wind  among  the  rushes. 

u  Why  is  young  Stan  the  miller  now  ever  sad  and  pale? " 

Said  the  priest's  youngest  daughter 
To  Stan  the  miller  by  the  well. 
"  Yes,  yes,  young  Stan  the  miller  is  ever  pale  and  sad," 

Answered  young  Stan, 
"  And  dost  thou  care,  O  maiden,  to  know  why  I  am  sad  ? " 

"  Yes,  pale  young  Stan,  I  care." 
"  One  day  while  I  sat  by  the  water 

A  maiden  came  to  me. 
She  was  fair  like  the  moon  on  the  water. 


1 6  Mariora. 

Like  the  sun  in  the  meadow  and  the  fruit  in  the  tree. 
She  stood  between  the  rushes 
The  rushes  kissed  her  lips. 
6  Young  man,'  said  she,  c  give  me  a  new-born  flower, 
And  I  will  dance  for  thee; 
I  will  dance  with  my  feet  in  the  water, 
And  with  my  fair  arms  on  the  lips  of  the  sun.' 
Then  I  gave  her  a  new-born  flower, 

That  I  wore  in  my  belt,  when  the  soft  flower  stood 

still, 
But  when  the  maid  took  the  flower  in  her  hand 
The  flower  began  to  tremble 
Till  its  leaves  fell, 
And  she  began  to  dance, 

And  all  the  world  seemed  to  turn  around  her, 
The  waters,  the  sun,  and  the  moon, 
And  my  heart  and  my  blood  and  my  knives. 
She  danced  so  fast  that  birds  were  jealous  of  her  swift 

dance. 
Then  she  laughed,  and  she  said,  '  Handsome  miller, 
I  am  the  daughter  of  the  Summer  Wind, 
And  I  will  be  thy  bride, 
And  I  will  wed  thee, 

If  thou  but  seekest  my  palace  in  the  woods.' 
Then  she  vanished;  the  dead  little  flower 
Lay  at  the  place  where  she  had  stood  and  danced. 
Day  and  night  I  dreamt  of  the  maiden 
And  said:  CI  must  seek  and  find  her.' 


Mariora.  1 7 

I  left  the  mill  one  morning,  and  inquired  of  the  rising  sun, 
'Where  lives  the  daughter  of  the  Summer  Wind?' 
But  the  sun  was  too  busy  to  answer. 
I  asked  the  river,  and  the  river  knew  naught 
About  the  maiden. 
So  I  started  on  a  long  journey  and   walked  with   my 
shadow  beside  me, 
Till  I  reached  a  small  hut  near  a  hill ; 
An  old  woman  stepped  forth  to  receive  me. 
'Who  art  thou,  O  young  man?' 
<  Stan  the  Miller ; 
I  want  to  find 

The  daughter  of  the  Summer  Wind.' 
c  So,  so,  the  Summer  Wind,'  said  she, 
'  Has  a  fair  daughter. 
She  must  be  proud, 
For  her  father's  kingdom  is  great, 
He  deals  with  the  sun  only, 
And  with  golden  crops  and  with  rich  foliage ; 
He  is  haughty,  I  can  assure  you, 

And  has  no  kind  words  for  his  betters.' 
I  could  well  see  the  old  woman  was  jealous 

Of  the  soft  Summer  Wind. 
'  Well,  my  son  perhaps  may  have  met  this  fair  maid. 
Come  in,  dear  young  man,  and  I'll  hide  thee; 
My  son  is  rather — well — cruel, 
And  he  might  do  you  some  harm. 
Though  he 's  more  powerful  by  far 

C 


1 8  Mariora. 

Than  that  proud  creature 
The  Summer  Wind. 

I  am  the  mother  of  the  Northern  Blast.' 
She  hid  me  beside  a  big  log, 

And  towards  night  the  cold  Blast  came  home. 

He  came  with  a  manner  so  savage 

That  all  save  his  mother  trembled. 
c  Dear  son,'  asked  she  of  the  awful  Blast, 

c  Dear  son,  O  do  not  be  angry, 

But  tell  me,  hast  thou  heard 

That  the  Summer  Wind  has  a  daughter, 

And  that  she  's  good  and  fair? ' 
At  these  words  her  son  became  furious : 

c  Heard  of  that  maid !    Why,  old  mother, 
I  mean  to  marry  the  girl.' 
And  off  he  went,  and  I  trembled 

Till  his  footsteps  died  on  my  ear ; 
And  I  fled,  and  I  tried  to  follow, 

For  I  well  understood  the  Northern  Blast  was  gone 

To  the  palace  of  my  beloved. 
The  way  was  long,  and  I  felt  weary, 

And  stopped  under  a  tree. 
All  at  once  on  the  road  I  saw  a  maiden  fly  ; 

Nearer  she  came  and  nearer, 

Till  she  fell  in  my  arms:  '  O,  save  me, 
I  cannot  love  the  Northern  Blast, 

For,  O  dear  miller,  I  love  thee.' 

I  recognized  the  daughter 


Mariora.  1 9 

Of  the  soft  Summer  Wind. 
*  My  beloved !  my  beloved !  come  closer, 
Rest  thy  head  on  my  neck  and  be  still.' 

c  I  can  ne'er  be  still,  for  my  father 

Is  the  Wind  who  is  never  still.' 
'  My  beloved,  my  beloved,  give  thy  lips  to  my  lips.' 
4  O,  young  miller,  I  may  ne'er  kiss  thee, 

But  if  I  kiss  thee  I  fly, 

For  the  Wind,  the  soft  Wind  is  my  father, 
Who  kisses  and  then  flies  away.' 
'  But  what  is  thy  name  ? '  c  Mariora ! ' 
c  O  Mariora,  stay  with  me, 

And  I  will  do  without  thy  kisses, 

But  stay  with  me.' 
And  I  took  the  daughter  of  the  Wind  into  my  village, 
Into  my  house  I  took  her, 
And  there  she  smiled  on  me; 
She  had  strange  habits — 
She  just  breathed  on  the  spindle 
And  never  touched  it, 

And  all  the  flax  and  all  the  wool  were  spun. 
She  breathed  on  my  sleep,  and  my  sleep 

Was  full  of  white  dreams. 
When  she  passed  by  the  tombs  the  tombs  called  her, 
And  she  gently  breathed  on  the  tombs, 
And  the  tombs  dreamt  of  love  and  life  under  her  breath. 

Thus  was  fair  Mariora. 
She  was  invisible  to  all  except  to  me, 


20  Mar  tor  a. 

And  I  loved  her 

E'en  as  I  love  her  still. 
One  night  there  was  a  great  storm  on  the  river, 
The  mill  was  tossed  away, 
The  tall  reeds  broken, 
And  there  was  no  moon  in  the  sky. 
A  great  moan  filled  the  earth  and  my  heart, 

My  house  was  torn  to  pieces, 
And  when  I  ran  to  rescue  Mariora 
My  wife  had  disappeared, 

The  Northern  Blast  had  carried  her  away. 
I  know  she  now  lives  in  his  palace, 

Or  in  his  lonely  hut  with  his  mother  j 

I  hear  her  cry  and  say : 

*  Come  to  me,  Stan,  young  miller, 

Come  to  me,  O  my  husband  dear, 
I  am  the  captive  of  the  Northern  Blast; 

Here  he  has  raised  around  me 

Three  high  mountains  of  ice, 

And  when  I  weep,  and  when  my  tears  fall  to  the 
ground, 

They  too  become  each  a  mountain  of  ice.' " 


The  Moldavian  Princess  and  the  Fairy.     2 1 


THE  MOLDAVIAN  PRINCESS  AND  THE 
FAIRY. 

I  have  come  to  the  well,  and  though  my  pitcher 's  full 

Pll  not  return  till  I  see  the  moon  rise, 
Because  the  sweet  moon  when  she  rises 

Sometimes  relates  a  tale  to  me, 
And  I  love  the  tales  of  the  moon. 

For  the  moon  sees  the  hearts  of  maidens  and  their  tears, 

Even  more  than  the  sun. 
I  love  the  tales  of  the  moon, 
For  the  moon  travels  far  and  yet  always  returns 

To  her  place  in  the  sky. 
For  the  moon  looks  on  cradles  and  looks  on  graves 

With  the  same  smile. 

Ah  !  I  love  the  tales  of  the  moon. 
This  tale  the  moon  hath  told,  which  I  will  tell  to  thee. 

There  was  a  Princess  in  Moldavia, 
In  a  plain  where  two  rivers  meet, 
And  her  name  was  Katinka,  and  she  danced 

With  a  silver  belt  round  her  waist. 
She  loved  no  one  and  no  one  loved  her  because  she  was  a 
Princess 


22  The  Moldavian  Princess 

Who  danced  with  a  silver  belt. 
And  she  called  one  night  on  a  fairy 

Who  lived  in  the  dark  grim  woods. 
The  fairy  crossed  a  torrent, 
She  climbed  three  mountains  too, 
And  came  to  the  Princess  and  asked 
Why  the  Princess  had  called  her. 

u  I  want  thee  to  make  me  a  present, 
A  mirror  where  I  can  see 
All  the  handsome  Princes  on  earth, 
And  choose  from  among  these  Princes 
A  husband,  for  I  am  young, 
And  I  will  not  wait  till  the  silver  belt 
Says  to  me:   'Thy  dance  is  no  longer 
The  best  a  maid  can  dance.' " 
But  the  fairy  answered :  u  Beware ! 

Thou  may'st  see  in  that  mirror 
A  man  who 's  not  a  Prince, 
And  thou  may'st  love  him. 
I  cannot  prevent  the  mirror  to  show  thee 
The  bravest  and  fairest  among  the  sons  of  men." 

But  the  Princess  only  laughed  and  said:  "Give." 
And  the  fairy  gave  her  the  mirror; 
'Twas  framed  in  ebony  wood, 
And  it  shone  like  the  stream's  pure  water 
Beneath  the  sun. 
The  Princess  as  soon  as  the  fairy  had  disappeared 
Went  up  to  the  mirror  and  saw  in  its  depths 


and  the  Fairy.  23 

A  tall  young  man  who  wept. 
She  could  not  ask  him 

Why  he  wept  thus  and  sighed, 
Because  he  was  but  an  image  in  that  mirror ; 
And  then  the  Princess  thought 

"I  will  not  hear  of  men  who  weep; 
I  dream  of  Princes  fierce  and  brave." 
And  though  her  heart  was  wounded, 

She  said  to  the  mirror:  "Bright  mirror, 
Show  me  another  face." 
And  she  saw  in  the  mirror  a  fierce  heiduck; 
Then  a  king  with  his  warriors  true ; 
Then  a  shepherd  beside  his  flock; 
Then  a  traveller  who  dreamt  as  he  sat  and  rested 

beneath  a  huge  oak-tree; 
But  still  she  thought :  "  I  wonder 
Whether  that  young  man 
Whom  I  could  not  love, 
Still  weeps." 
And  she  asked  the  mirror  to  show  her  again 

The  strange  young  man. 
But  this  time  he  was  bright  and  smiling; 

And  she  said  to  herself:  "  I'll  not  have  him, 
Because  his  mood  changeth  so." 
And  she  said  to  the  mirror:  "Show  me  other  Princes." 
And  she  saw  in  the  mirror 

An  Emperor  whose  palace  was  found  in  the  East; 
Then  a  warrior  who  gained  as  many  victories 


24  The  Moldavian  Princess 

As  the  warm  sun  who  fights  against  the  clouds ; 
Then  a  bear-hunter; 

Then  a  lute-player  who  sang  more  sweetly 
Than  the  wind  and  their  love 

In  the  souls  of  the  maidens  young. 

But  still  she  thought  of  that  strange  young  man. 
"I  wonder,"  she  thought,  "whether  he  still  smiles." 
And  she  said  to  the  mirror:   "Sweet  mirror, 
Show  me  again  that  strange  young  man." 
And  lo !  she  saw  him. 

He  neither  wept  nor  smiled ; 
But  his  hand  was  locked  in  his  true  love's  hand, 
And  his  face  beamed  like  the  morning  stars; 

And  the  Princess  thought :  "That  maid  is  so  happy, 
That  to  look  long  on  her  would  destroy  her  luck." 
"  Now  show  me  a  Prince,  sweet  mirror, 
From  whom  no  woman  can  part  me." 
But  the  mirror  said :  "  Princess  dear, 
Look  again  at  that  strange  young  man, 
And  look  at  his  true  love, 
How  she  resembles  thee !  " 
The  Princess  looked,  and  trembled  with  joy, 
And  said  :  "  O  sweet  mirror, 

Where  lives  that  strange  young  man  ? 
I  will  to  him  and  give  him 

My  gold,  my  belt,  and  my  kiss." 
"  Look  again,"  said  the  magic  mirror. 
The  Princess  looked  again, 


and  the  Fairy.  2  5 

And  she  saw  the  young  man 
Who  had  wept  and  smiled, 

The  young  man  who  had  loved  her, 
In  the  depths  of  the  mirror  sweet  j 
She  saw  the  young  man  dead, 
And  she  had  seen  a  dream  which  she  tried  to  forget. 
She  took  her  horse,  and  she  travelled  so  far 
That  her  ladies  and  her  warriors 
Thought  they  would  touch  the  sun  and  the  moon, 
As  they  rested  quite  close  to  the  earth. 
And  after  many  years  she  married  a  great  king ; 
She  had  forgotten  the  mirror 
And  the  strange  young  man 
Who  by  turns  wept  and  smiled, 
And  who  had  loved  her. 

The  King  was  away  when  a  messenger  came, 
Who  told  his  Queen:  "Mighty  Queen, 
There 's  a  strange  young  man, 
He  won't  tell  his  name, 
He  stays  by  thy  gate,  and  weeps." 
She  ran  to  the  gate,  she  knew  who  had  come, 

And  she  called  upon  him :  "  Thou  art  come, 
I  will  make  thee 'smile, 
I  will  make  thee  love, 
And  I  know  I  will  make  thee  die." 
But  at  these  words  the  young  man  answered: 
"Great  Queen, 


26  The  Moldavian  Princess 

I  know  not  what  these  words  can  mean, 
For  I  wept  at  your  gate  because  my  horse  is  dead, 
And  I  could  not  find  my  way  back  to  my  home, 
And  now  I  smile  because  I  see  thee." 
The  Queen  said:  "Alas!  he  must  die!  " 
She  wore  a  ring  so  brilliant  on  her  finger 

That  he  stooped  to  look,  and  he  stooped  to  kiss, 
And  just  at  that  moment  the  great  King  came  home 

to  his  palace, 
And  said:  "Who  kisses  my  fair  Queen's  hand? 
My  Queen  is  too  mighty,  my  Queen  is  too  fair, 
To  allow  any  man  on  earth  to  touch  her  fair  hand." 
The  strange  young  man  promptly  answered : 
"  Thou  art  a  savage  king, 
And  I  will  fight  with  thee 

Till  one  of  us  falls  dead." 
They  fought  and  the  Queen  turned  pale, 
They  fought  and  the  Queen  grew  faint, 
They  fought  and  the  pale  Queen  wept 

Because  the  strange  young  man  was  killed 
By  the  great  King  before  her  eyes. 

And  she  said  to  the  King:  "I'm  no  longer 

Thy  mighty  Queen ; 
I'm  again  the  Moldavian  Princess 

Who  saw  in  a  magic  mirror 
This  thing  which  has  happened  to-day, 
And  long  before  he  came  I  have  loved  this  young  man." 


and  the  Fairy,  27 

The  King  said  to  his  warriors: 
"  My  poor  Queen's  mind  is  lost, 
And  I'll  keep  her  in  my  royal  garden 
And  give  her  flowers  and  lutes, 
But  never  will  she  speak  to  a  living  being  again. ' 
Then  the  poor  mighty  Queen 
Was  imprisoned 
In  a  garden  as  fair  as  the  fairest  place  in  our  dreams; 
She  talked  not  to  living  creature, 
But  at  night  the  fairy  came, 
And  she  said  to  the  fairy :  "  Thy  mirror  said  true. 
I  am  happy,  my  fate  is  fulfilled ; 

I  have  seen  the  strange  young  man, 
And  his  lips  have  dwelt  on  my  fingers ; 
I  have  seen  his  tears,  and  my  fate  is  fulfilled. 
I  will  look  again  in  the  mirror, 

And  smile  to  see  there  my  own  tomb, 
And  the  flowers  that  will  grow  on  my  heart, 
The  flowers  red  like  my  blood." 


28  The  Wooden  Spindle 


THE  WOODEN  SPINDLE  AND  MY 
LADY  DEATH. 

/  have  noticed  this,  that  when  I  walk  three  times  round  my 
garden 
Before  sunset  it  rains; 
My  heart  has  gone  with  the  traveller^ 

My  heart  knows  not  when  the  traveller  returns. 
And  because  I  love  the  traveller 
I  say  to  all  who  pass  on  the  road: 

"  My  heart  has  gone  with  a  traveller  like  you,  and  if  you 

meet  him, 
'Tell  him  my  heart  has  gone  with  him." 
I  have  learnt  sweet  tales  which  Pll  tell  to  the  traveller  when 
he  returns; 
But  as  thou  art  so  sad  to-night 
Pll  tell  one  of  these  tales  to  thee." 

A  woman  lived  in  a  village 

Who  had  four  spindles  in  her  house, 

They  were  swift  spindles,  and  they  were 

Of  hazel-wood  and  nut-wood ; 

The  woman  loved  them  well. 
Her  daughter  died,  and  the  woman  wept, 

Till  all  the  spindles  shone  with  her  tears, 


and  my  lady  Death,  29 

And  they  believed  that  dew  and  rain  had  come  to  them 
once  more. 
"  O  my  spindles,"  said  she,  "  O  my  spindles, 
Where  is  my  daughter  sweet  ? 
Has  my  lady  Death  such  a  room  as  this, 

And  such  a  good  hut  as  mine? 
Has  my  lady  Death  such  arms  as  mine? 
So  hot  with  love  and  care 
That  my  darling  has  gone, 
And  preferred  the  tomb 
To  my  hut,  and  my  arms,  and  my  love. 
Who  now  will  twist  her  gentle  hair, 
And  put  a  flower  in  her  belt  ? 

Who  will  fasten  her  necklace,  and  give  her  to  drink 
If  she  is  thirsty  in  her  grave?" 
And  the  spindles  said :  "  Thy  daughter 

Prefers  my  lady  Death, 
Because  my  lady  Death  spins  much  better  than  thee." 
The  poor  mother  said :  "  Has  my  lady  Death 
Much  time  to  spin  ? 
I'd  like  to  see  her  work  and  watch  her 
Awhile  her  fingers  dance." 
Then  there  was  a  loud  knock  at  the  door, 
And  who  should  enter 
But  dark  my  lady  Death. 
She  said :  "  Your  daughter  fares  well, 

She  needs  you  not,  poor  woman,  to  tie  her  necklace, 
to  twist  her  hair,  or  to  put  a  flower  in  her  belt, 


30  The  Woode?i  Spindle 

She  is  not  thirsty,  either. 

I  tell  thee  she  fares  well. 
Now  give  me  thy  distaff  and  spindles, 

I'll  spin  with  the  four  at  a  time." 
And  the  spindles  turned,  and  the  spindles  ran, 

She  spun  well,  my  lady  Death, 
And  though  she  thought  of  her  daughter  and  wondered: 

"How  can  she  do  without  water,  without  her  necklace 
and  flowers?" 
The  old  woman  said :  "  Dark  my  lady  Death, 

It  is  true  thou  spinnest  much  better 

Than  any  spinner  on  earth." 
My  lady  Death  smiled,  and  the  spindles 

Now  rested  in  her  lap. 
"  Give  me  to  drink,  old  woman, 

For  I  must  soon  be  gone." 
"  O  my  lady  Death,  tell  me  something  more 

About  my  dear  dead  daughter. 
How's  her  bed  and  her  mattress  and  pillow?" 

"  They're  hard." 
"  How's  the  lover  who  loves  her?"    "  He's  hard." 
"  How 's  her  sleep  when  she  sleeps,  and  her  smile  when  she 
smiles?" 

"  They're  hard." 
"  How's  her  hand  and  her  lips,  oh  how  are  they?" 

"They're  hard." 
"  How  's  her  heart  and  her  feet,  for  we  called  her 
The  fleetest  among  all  the  girls? " 


and  my  lady  Death.  3 1 

"  They're  hard." 
The  old  woman  then  sank  on  her  knees, 

And  prayed  that  the  earth  and  the  lover 
Be  not  so  hard  for  her  child. 
And  when  she  saw  my  lady  Death  had  vanished, 

Taking  the  spindles  four  and  leaving  instead 

One  single  brown  spindle 

So  slow  and  so  long  that  it  seemed 

Not  the  wool  of  a  thousand  flocks, 

Nor  the  work  of  a  thousand  spinners, 

Could  cover  that  spindle  so  long. 
But  as  the  days  went  by,  the  woman,  who  had  ceased 
spinning, 

Took  up  the  brown  spindle  left  there  by  my  lady 
Death, 

And  she  began  to  spin, 

And  lo !  as  the  spindle  turned, 
She  heard  soft  voices  around  her, 

The  voices  of  the  dead ; 
And  one  said :  "  I've  come  again 

To  smell  the  flowers  of  earth," 
And  the  other  said:  "  Does  the  stream  still  run 

Under  the  worn-out  bridge?" 
And  she  heard  her  own  daughter  say:  "  I  am  dead  ; 
I  have  died  because  my  dear  lover 

Had  ceased  to  love  me  and  I  know 

He'll  go  and  marry  the  miller's  fair  daughter. 
And  now  I  am  in  the  tomb. 


32  The  Wooden  Spindle 

My  pillow 's  hard,  my  heart  is  hard ; 

But  pillow  and  heart  will  soon  be  on  fire, 

The  day  Radu  marries,  and  I'm  in  my  grave." 
u  Ah!"  thought  the  old  woman,  "it 's  Radu, 

The  shepherd  whom  my  daughter  loved. 
And  he  is  to  marry  on  Sunday, 

And  that  day  my  child 

Will  be  burnt  in  her  grave 

By  the  fire  of  her  grief." 
So  she  took  her  mantle  and  the  brown  spindle 

Of  my  lady  Death. 
She  knocked  at  Radu's  door,  and  Radu's  mother 

Opened  the  door  and  said:  "Dear  neighbour, 

We  scarcely  can  give  you  welcome, 

As  Sunday  will  be  my  son's  wedding  day : 

And  our  house  is  so  full,  and  our  hearts  are  so  gay." 
u  Dear  neighbour,  I  must  see  your  son  Radu, 
For  I  have  a  message  for  him." 
"Radu!  our  neighbour  has  a  message  for  thee." 

And  Radu  came,  and  the  old  woman 

Could  scarcely  bear  to  see  his  face  so  fair, 

Because  of  her  child  who  was  in  her  grave. 
"  Radu !  "  said  she,  "  my  daughter  is  dead, 

But  her  sweet  soul  has  told  me 

That  she'll  burn  in  her  grave 

And  put  her  dark  grave  on  fire 

The  day  that  thou  weddest 

The  miller's  fair  daughter." 


and  my  lady  Death,  3  3 

"  I  loved  the  maiden,  'tis  true,  but  now  she  's  dead ; 

Let  the  living  dwell  with  the  living, 

And  the  dead  rejoice  with  the  dead. 
Take  this  flower  from  my  belt,  and  put  it  on  her  tomb, 

And  she'll  forget  me  and  sleep." 
The  old  woman  retired  with  the  red  flower, 
And  she  went  to  her  daughter's  grave,  and  she  told  her : 
"  I'll  kill  thy  beloved  on  Sunday 

With  the  brown  spindle  of  my  lady  Death ; 
I'll  kill  him  at  the  church-gate, 

Before  he  sees  his  bride. 
I'll  kill  him,  and  thou  wilt  be  happy, 

And  welcome  him  in  the  grave." 
"  O  my  mother  sweet,  O  my  mother  dear, 

How  looked  his  bonny  face 

When  thou  spakest  of  me  to  my  faithless  lover?" 
"  He  looked  hard." 
"  O  my  mother  dear,  O  my  mother  sweet, 

How  sounded  his  dear  voice?  " 
"  His  voice  was  hard." 
"  O  my  mother  dear,  O  my  mother  sweet, 

Hast  thou  seen  his  smile? " 

"Yes,  he  smiled  when  he  spoke  of  his  bride; 

So  I'll  kill  him." 
"  O  my  mother  sweet,  O  my  mother  dear, 

If  my  beloved  dies, 
I  will  never  again  long  for  life  and  for  our  house, 

And  for  my  necklace  bright. 


34    The  Wooden  Spindle  and  my  lady  Death. 

If  my  beloved  dies  I  will  love  death, 

And  now  I  love  the  life  IVe  left, 

And  to  sigh  after  life  is  my  joy,  mother  sweet, 

So  do  not  kill  him. 
He'll  take  the  miller's  daughter  in  his  arms 

And  call  her  £  Wife.' 
I'll  take  the  damp  gray  earth  between  my  arms, 

And  say :  c  I  long  for  life.' 
He'll  take  the  miller's  daughter  by  the  stream, 

And  say:  c  Look  in  the  water,  look  on  thy  gentle  face.' 
I'll  take  the  damp  gray  earth  between  my  arms  and  say: 

1  Cover  my  gentle  face.' 
He'll  take  the  miller's  daughter  in  his  arms,  and  say : 

6  My  life,  my  life!' 
I'll  take  the  damp  gray  earth  into  my  arms,  and  say : 

i  Death,  death.' 

But  what  is  death  to  me, 
Since  my  beloved  liveth, 

And  goes  besides  the  stream  and  plucks  red  flowers, 

And  sees  the  sun  and  takes  his  happiness  in  his  strong 
arms, 

And  says:  'Life,  life,  my  life?' 

O  mother,  let  him  live, 

While  I  drink  death. 
For  my  beloved  maketh  earth  so  fair 

That  I  will  ever  weep  and  say  in  my  dark  grave: 

'O  bright  earth,  I  must  weep  for  thee.'" 


The  Shepherd  and  the  Heiduck.  35 


THE  SHEPHERD  AND  THE  HEIDUCK.1 

"  Are  the  apples  quite  ripe  and  the  nuts  In  the  orchard? 

Is  thy  heart,  O  maiden,  quite  pleased?  " 
ft  The  apples  are  ripe  and  the  nuts  In  the  orchard, 
But  my  heart  ne'er  again 
Can  taste  joy  or  pain. 
My  heart  was  frozen  last  winter 

When  the  winter  was  long  and  cold — 
If  I  told  thee  a  tale  wouWst  thou  tell  me 
Why  the  heart  of  a  maiden 
Is  so  tender,  so  soft, 
That  the  winter  can  freeze,  and  the  summer  sun  burn 

This  poor,  soft  heart?  " 
u  Tell  me  thy  tale,  thy  voice  is  warm, 

And  my  ears  love  thy  voice. 
Tell  me  thy  tale,  the  birds  are  all  asleep, 
Thy  voice  will  be 
Like  the  voice  of  a  bird  to  me." 

There  were  two  brothers  in  the  mountain  village, 
Two  brothers  handsome,  good  and  brave, 

1  Note  of  the  Author.    Heiduck,  a  popular  hero,  a  warrior  and  a 
brigand  by  turns. 


36  The  Shepherd  and  the  Heiduck, 

And  one  became  a  shepherd, 

And  the  other  a  heiduck  at  whose  name 
Every  one  trembled  because  he  was  fierce, 
And  lived  in  dark  forests  and  had  no  other  friends 
But  the  sky,  his  horse,  and  the  trees. 

The  shepherd  lived  on  the  mountain's  peak 
Where  the  snow  dwelt,  and  the  bears, 
And  the  little  fairies 

Who  are  clad  in  snow  and  ice. 
But  he  was  happy,  and  he  loved 

His  sheep,  his  flute,  his  long  mantle 
Of  pure  white  fur, 
And  he  never  knew  what  had  become  of  his  brother, 

Nor  that  his  brother  was  such  a  fierce  heiduck. 
But  one  night  a  pure  white  fairy  came  to  him  and  said: 
u  Rise  and  go ! 

Thy  brother  lives  in  the  forest, 
Thy  brother  lives  in  the  plain, 
And  he  is  the  fiercest  heiduck 
Of  whom  the  world  hath  spoken  hitherto. 
Rise  and  go  to  him  and  tell  him 
I  want  to  marry  him, 
For  I'm  the  mountain  fairy, 
And  I've  fallen  in  love 
With  thy  brother,  the  fierce  heiduck." 
The  shepherd  sighed  and  said:  "'Tis  a  pity 

I'm  not  like  the  fierce  heiduck, 
But  I'll  go  to  him,  mountain  fairy, 


The  Shepherd  and  the  Heiduck.  37 

And  tell  him  to  come  to  thee." 
"  Fain  would  I  go  down  in  the  valley," 

Said  she  to  the  shepherd,  and  sighed, 

"  But  my  dress  is  of  snow,  and  the  bright  snow 
melts 

When  the  spring  comes  back  in  the  plains, 
But  my  hair  is  of  snow,  and  the  bright  snow  melts 

When  the  sun  strokes  her  shining  hair, 
But  my  heart 's  of  snow,  and  the  bright  snow  melts 

When  a  lover  looks  on  the  gentle  snow." 
At  dawn  the  shepherd  took  his  dog,  his  mantle, 

And  descended  the  mountain  paths. 
It  was  so  long  since  he  had  been  away 

From  his  village  and  from  the  plains, 
That  the  sight  of  the  world  was  dear  to  him, 

And  yet  made  him  weary  and  sad. 
And  he  walked  through  wide  valleys  and  through  willow 
woods, 

And  he  walked  through  glens  where  deep  shadows 
dwelt, 

And  he  asked  the  cool  stream: 

"  Hast  thou  seen  the  heiduck,  my  brother  ? 

He  is  a  fierce  heiduck.'' 
And  the  stream  answered:  "Yesterday 

Our  water  was  red  with  human  blood." 
And  the  blood  said:  "  How  fierce  was  the  heiduck 

Who  bid  me  go  forth  on  the  water 
And  redden  the  fresh  stream  in  the  glade !  " 


3  8  The  Shepherd  and  the  Heiduck. 

And  he  asked  the  grass: 

"  Dost  thou  know  the  heiduck,  my  brother, 
Who  is  such  a  fierce  heiduck  ?  " 
"  No,"  said  the  grass,  "  I  do  not  know  the  fierce  heiduck, 
But  this  morning  the  face  of  the  earth  where  I  grow 

grew  sad, 
For  the  earth  was  opened  by  a  man's  hard  spade, 
And  a  grave  was  made,  where  a  man  now  sleeps. 
And  the  grave  said:  "'Tis  the  fierce  heiduck 
Who  has  wounded  the  fair  face  of  the  earth 
And  taught  this  man  to  sleep." 
So  the  shepherd  continued  his  journey,  and  said  in  his  heart: 
"  How  will  the  white  fairy  love 

Such  a  fierce  heiduck,  and  tend  him 
When  he  comes  back  at  night  ?  " 
At  last  he  reached  the  mouth  of  a  cavern 
In  the  wide  forest  where  his  brother  dwelt; 

And  before  entering  he  stopped  to  draw 
His  broad  mantle  over  his  broad  shoulders, 
And  he  was  about  to  enter  when  he  heard  the  heiduck  roar: 
"  And  even  if  it  was  my  own  brother 
Who  crossed  my  threshold  to-day, 
I'd  kill  him!" 
But  the  shepherd  was  brave  and  stepped  forward: 
"Thy  brother  is  here,  O  heiduck! 
And  will  fight  with  thee. 

He's  accustomed  to  the  mountain  bear's  close 
embrace. 


The  Shepherd  and  the  Heiduck.  39 

The  heiduck  felt  abashed:  "No,  dear  brother, 
This  is  no  time  for  fight. 
We're  born  of  the  same  mother,  she  still  spins  in  her  hut 
by  the  willows. 

Her  hair  is  like  the  wings  of  a  gray  turtle-dove. 
No,  brother,  we  must  not  fight." 
But  the  shepherd  said:  "  Keep  your  word; 
A  heiduck,  a  man,  and  my  brother 
Cannot  thus  break  a  promise.    So  come, 
And  if  we  are  not  both  dead,  we  will  eat  together, 
And  after  the  meal  I'll  deliver 
A  good  message  to  thee. 
If  I  die,  my  dear  brother,  send  my  mantle  and  my  dog 

To  my  sheep  who  live  in  the  mountains." 
They  drew  their  knives  and  gnashed  their  teeth, 

And  fought  like  bitter  foes. 
When  they  stopped  to  drink,  when  they  stopped  to  breathe, 
The  heiduck  said :  "I'm  proud  of  thee,  my  brother." 
The  shepherd  said:  "Brother,  I'm  proud  of  thee." 
And  when  night  came  in  they  had  more  wounds 

on  their  bosom 
Than  teeth  in  their  jaws. 
And  the  heiduck  said:  "  'Tis  enough!  I've  tried  to  kill  thee 

Have  I  not  kept  my  word  ?  " 
Then  they  ate  and  drank  pure  fresh  water, 
And  rejoiced  over  their  strange  fate. 
"I'm  so  happy  to  tend  the  sheep," said  the  shepherd, 
"  To  live  in  the  mountains  high, 


4o  The  Shepherd  and  the  Heiduck. 

To  see  the  soft  white  fairies 
Rise  from  the  gentle  snow." 

"  I'm  so  happy,"  said  the  heiduck, 
"  To  be  an  outlaw,  and  to  frighten 
Hill,  wood  and  river,  mountain  and  sky." 
Then  the  shepherd  delivered  the  message 

Of  the  white  fairy,  and  the  heiduck  laughed. 
He  said  he  cared  not  for  women, 
Nor  for  queens,  nor  for  fairies  either, 
And  he  laughed  till  his  horse  neighed  and  asked: 
"O  master,  why  this  loud  laughter?" 
And  the  shepherd  sighed  and  he  thought  how  the  fairy 

Would  weep  and  perhaps  die. 
For  fairies  die  when  they  love  a  mortal 

Who  loves  them  not. 
"  She 's  tall  and  slim,  O  fierce  brother, 

And  the  fairest  on  all  the  earth." 
"  Then  tell  her  I'm  dead,  and  take  her, 

Because  thou  lovest  her." 
"  The  fairies  know  all,  fierce  brother, 

She'll  know  thou  art  not  dead." 
"  Then  tell  her  I'm  betrothed 

To  the  fairy  who  dwells  in  the  moon." 
So  the  shepherd  returned  to  the  mountains, 

And  the  white  fairy  asked: 
"  What  said  the  fierce  heiduck  when  he  heard,  shepherd, 
I  loved  him  and  sent  him  a  message 
That  I  would  be  his  spouse." 


The  Shepherd  and  the  Heiduck.  41 

"  He  wept,  sweet  fairy,  and  said,  c  Alas ! 

I'm  betrothed  to  the  fairy  who  dwells  in  the  moon.' " 
The  faijry  wrung  her  hands  and  cried: 
"  Alas  !  alas !  I  cannot  go 
To  that  fairy  who  dwells  in.  the  moon, 
And  tell  her  of  my  love 
For  the  heiduck, 

For  of  course  if  I  told  her  she'd  give  him  up  to  me. 
But  if  a  human  creature 
Could  die  to-day  and  go 

To  the  fairy  in  the  moon  and  tell  her  of  my  grief, 
I  might  win  my  beloved." 
The  shepherd  said:  "I'll  die! 
Give  me  a  kiss,  white  fairy, 
And  kill  me  with  thy  kiss." 
"  Dost  thou  know  the  way  to  the  moon,  O  shepherd  ? 
Dost  thou  not  regret  the  earth, 
And  thy  dog,  and  the  sheep,  and  thy  mantle, 

And  the  mountains  where  the  bears  are  black?  " 
"  Give  me  thy  kiss.    I'll  die  and  take  thy  message  to  the 

moon; 
But  please,  white  fairy,  don't  tell  my  dog, 
Don't  tell  my  sheep  and  my  mantle 
That  I  am  dead. 
Tell  them  I'm  betrothed  to  the  fairy 

Who  lives  in  the  distant  moon, 

And  that  I  have  loved  her  so  wildly 

I  could  not  bear  to  think 


42  The  Shepherd  and  the  Heiduck. 

She  is  weeping  there 
As  thou  weepest  here 
For  a  young  and  fierce  heiduck." 

My  heart  has  not  listened^  for  thy  tale  is  too  sad, 
Yet  I  love  thy  voice,  and  the  birds 
Are  all  asleep  in  their  nests 
Awhile  I  hear  thy  voice. 


The  Enchanted  Palace.  43 


THE  ENCHANTED  PALACE  BETWEEN  THE 
ENCHANTED  TREES. 

u  O  mother,  have  you  seen  the  weary  prisoners  by  the  well?  " 
"/  have  seen  them,  my  daughter,  and  0  they  are  so  weary, 
Jnd  they  must  walk  till  night,  and  at  night  they  will 

sleep  in  their  prison, 
And  their  souls  must  be  e'en  wearier  than  their  feet.'" 
"  Mother,  I  know  so  many  tales  thou  hast  told  me, 
Shall  I  not  tell  them  a  sweet  tale  ? 
They  would  forget  their  weariness  and  their  prison 

Awhile  I  tell  my  tale. — 
Dark  prisoners,  whose  souls  are    even   wearier  than  your 
feet, 
I  know  such  a  sweet  tale  that  my  mother  has  told  me 
Awhile  I  went  to  sleep. 
Shall  I  now  tell  you  the  sweet  tale  awhile  you  drink  the  fresh 

water,  awhile  you  bless  the  well?  " 
"  Yes,  speak,  fair  maiden,  for  thy  voice  makes  us  forget  even  the 

water  in  the  well, 
Even  our  weary  feet  and  our  hearts  wearier  still." 

There  was  once  upon  a  time  in  a  dark  forest 
An  enchanted  palace  among  the  enchanted  trees, 


44  ^he  Enchanted  Palace  between 

And  the  birds  who  sang  in  these  trees  they  were  also 

enchanted, 
And  the  pools  that  reflected  them,  and  the  winds 
Who  played  with  its  roofs  and  its  windows, 
And  in  this  enchanted  palace  a  gentle  maiden  dwelt. 
She  was  neither  lively  nor  sad,  she  neither  spoke  nor 
sang,  but  the  rustling  of  her  airy  dress  and  of  her 
trailing  hair 
Made  a  noise  sweeter  and  more  deep 

Than  the  torrent's  moan  on  the  stones  in  autumn, 
Than  the  storm  between  the  tall  green  maize 
When  the  maize  is  so  tall  and  green. 
And  the  sunshine  in  her  eyes  was  more  burning  than  the 

light  of  noon  on  the  ripening  corn, 
And  on  the  dusty  road,  and  on  the  shining  storm. 
She  lived  quite  alone,  this  strange  maid, 
In  the  enchanted  palace 
Where  none  could  reach  nor  none  could  dwell, 
Because  the  enchanted  trees  round  the  palace 
Whenever  the  winds  rose 

Sang  all  the  dirges  that  were  sung  on  earth  and  all 
the  love-songs, 
And  the  voices  of  the  enchanted  pool 
Told  all  the  tears  of  joy  and  grief 
That  sprang  from  mortals'  eyes. 
And  when  the  dust  rose  round  the  palace  the  dust  spoke 
of  all  the  dust 
That  lay  in  mortals'  grave. 


the  Enchanted  Threes.  45 

But  to  these  sounds  the  fair  maid  listened 

Without  a  tear,  without  a  smile, 
But  if  these  sounds  but  one  moment  had  ceased, 

She  would  have  died. 
One  day  in  a  large  distant  realm 
A  brave  young  King 
Was  told  of  the  enchanted  palace 
Between  enchanted  trees, 
And  he  said:  "  I  must  see  the  palace 

And  the  fair  maid  who  neither  smiles  nor  weeps. 
I  care  not  for  the  dismal  sounds  that  winds  and  waters 
make." 
So  he  rode  his  tall  horse  and  arrived  near  the  forest,  whose 
dark  trees  said  to  him : 
"  Young  King,  avaunt,  young  King, 
Return  to  thy  fair  realm;  this  is  no  place  for  thee." 
But  the  young  King  answered:   "I  am  brave; 
A  worse  thing  than  death  cannot  befall  me, 
And  death  is  sweet  to  the  soul  of  the  brave.', 
And  he  plunged  into  the  dark  forest, 
Whose  branches  instantly  became 
Fiery  serpents,  and  they  clung  round  his  neck  and  arms. 
But  the  brave  young  King  went  on, 

And  the  serpents  hissed  and  his  sword  killed  them, 
And  his  armour  was  a  mirror  of  blood. 
He  reached  the  enchanted  palace  and  said  to  the  maid: 
"I'm  a  King; 
I've  come  to  make  thee  weep  or  smile." 


46  The  'Enchanted  Palace  between 

The  maid  bade  him  welcome  and  gave  him  her  hand, 
And  said :  "  O  young  King,  three  days  and  three  nights 
Wilt  thou  abide  in  the  enchanted  palace. 
Three  chambers  will  I  give  thee 

In  which  each  night  thou  wilt  sleep. 
In  the  first  chamber  all  who  enter  feel  happy  and  strong, 

And  achieve  their  highest  dreams. 
In  the  second  all  who  dwell 
Feel  sad  and  strong, 
And  taste  of  heavenly  bliss. 
In  the  third  all  who  dwell 

Feel  lonely,  though  there  I  dwell  with  them." 
The  young  King  said :  "  I  would  first  have 
The  room  where  all  who  dwell 
Feel  sad  and  strong." 
And  the  maid  showed  him  the  way. 

'Twas  a  chamber  so  vast  and  so  brilliant 
That  his  eyes  and  his  soul  were  dazzled, 
And  he  said  to  himself,  "  How  shall  I  ever  feel 

Sad  and  strong  in  this  place? " 
But  when  the  maid  had  left  him,  and  he  undid 

His  armour  from  his  breast, 
He  heard  a  great  crowd  coming,  he  heard  a  great  crowd 
moaning,  he  heard  a  sad  great  crowd, 
Who  pressed  against  the  door. 
And  he  heard  lips  and  fingers 
Pressed  hard  against  the  door, 
And  he  heard  tears  and  sighs 


the  Enchanted  Trees.  47 

Pressed  hard  against  the  door. 
The  door  he  tried  to  open  to  let  the  sad  crowds  come  in, 
But  the  door  was  double  bolted  and  stood   on  iron 

hinges, 
And  the  crowd  said :  "  Happy  creature, 
Thou  dwell'st  in  the  gorgeous  room, 
To  touch  its  walls  and  its  mirrors 
We  toil  with  breath  and  blood, 
And  our  weary  souls  at  night 
Now  press  against  its  door." 
The  King  said:  "Walls  and  mirrors  I  do  not  touch  nor  love, 
Since  such  a  great  sad  crowd 
Sighs  and  weeps  for  this  splendour 
I  cannot  enjoy  nor  give." 
And  in  his  anguish  the  young  King 
Felt  sad  and  strong,  and  said : 
"  I  will  not  touch  them, 

These  things  for  which  so  many  mortals  toil." 
And  the  next  night  the  maid 

Took  him  to  the  strange  chamber 
Where  all  who  dwelt  therein 
Were  strong  and  happy 
And  achieved  their  highest  dreams. 
The  chamber  was  dark,  and  a  low  fire  burnt 

Upon  its  barren  hearth. 
When  the  King  was  alone  in  the  chamber 
He  heard  a  great  sad  crowd 
Press  hard  against  the  doors 


48  'The  Enchanted  Palace  between 

And  the  sound  of  bewildering  kisses, 

And  of  song  more  glorious  and  purer 

Than  the  song  of  the  spring  in  a  garden 

Struck  his  delighted  ear. 
And  the  great  sad  crowd  said :  "  Unhappy  King, 

Thou  art  thus  alone  and  a  captive 

Alone  on  the  barren  hearth, 

While  here  we  love  and  sing 

Though  we  are  sad,  O  King. 

We  press  on  the  doors  to  keep  them 

Well  closed,  and  keep  thee  away. 

There  is  no  place  at  our  banquet, 

There  is  no  kiss  on  our  lips, 

Unhappy  King,  for  thee." 
And  the  King  answered:  "I'm  happy 

To  hear  there 's  so  much  love 

And  so  much  song  on  earth. 

Though  you  keep  the  door  and  bar  it 

You  cannot  keep  the  bewildering  sound 

Of  joy  and  kisses  from  me." 
And  he  felt  indeed  he  had  achieved  his  highest  dream, 

And  he  smiled  and  he  went  to  sleep. 
On  the  third  night  the  room  where  he  entered 

Was  low  like  a  peasant's  cot. 
And  the  strange  maid  who  dwelt  there  by  him 

Slept  so  sound,  slept  so  long  in  the  deep,  dismal  silence 

That  he  felt  lonely  and  sighed 
Till  daylight  came. 


the  Enchanted  Trees.  49 

Then  the  maid  awoke  and  told  him : 

"  Now  which  chamber  would  suit  the  best 
If  this  enchanted  palace 

Belonged  to  thee?  " 
"  Strange  maid,"  said  he,  "  the  third 's  the  brightest, 

For  thou  wert  there  with  me." 
Then  the  maid  wept  and  said :  "  Unhappy  King, 

I  am  the  maid  called  Life, 

And  thou  hast  dwelt  with  me 

In  thy  own  grave. 
And  therefore  thou  wilt  die,  and  I  must  leave  thee, 

Thou  hast  spoken  thy  Fate." 
The  young  King  unabashed  looked  her  full  in  the  face. 

"  Strange  maid,"  said  he,"  my  horse  neighs  at  the  gate. 

Ride  back  with  me  on  my  horse. 
Ride  back  to  my  realm,  where  thou  wilt  be  queen ." 

But  she  said :  w  I'm  the  maid  called  Life." 
But  he  kissed  her  lips,  and  he  pressed  her  hands 

Till  her  hands  and  her  lips  were  aflame, 
And  he  spoke  such  words  as  she  herself, 

The  maid  called  Life, 

Had  never  heard. 
And  now  she  trembled  and  wavered 

And  asked:  "  O  who  art  thou?  " 
"I  don't  know,  cruel  maid,  but  I'm  stronger  than  thou. 

Where  my  horses'  feet  pass 

Spring  and  joy  swell  and  smile, 

And  my  realm  is  greater  than  thine. 
£ 


50  The  Enchanted  Palace. 

I've  a  lute,  I've  a  sword, 
I  have  everything  fair — 
In  my  palace  and  in  my  heart." 
And  the  maiden  called  Life  whispered:  "O  wondrous  King, 
Art  thou  not  the  crimson  heiduck 
Whom  maidens  call  at  night 
Before  they  go  to  sleep, 
And  whose  name  I  dare  not  tell?" 
"  Yes,  I  am  the  crimson  heiduck, 
And  all  maidens  know  me  well, 
For  under  their  pillow  at  night 
They  put  a  branch  of  basil  sweet 
And  dream  of  me. 
I'm  the  crimson  heiduck." 
And  the  maiden  called  Life 

Said  to  the  glorious  King :  u  Then  take  me. 
I  will  ride  thy  fiery  horse, 
And  dwell  with  thee  in  thy  palace ; 

For  thy  breath  is  song  and  thy  arms  are  joy, 
For  thou  art  the  heiduck,  love, 
Whose  name  I  scarce  dare  to  speak. 
Thou  art  the  heiduck  called  Love." 


Mihai. 


51 


MIHAI; 

OR, 


THE  SON  OF  THE  DRAGON. 


This  happened  once  which  had  never  happened  before, 
and  will  never  happen  again.  A  powerful  dragon  lived  in 
a  valley  where  the  steps  of  a  human  creature  could  not 
reach,  because  the  valley  was  closed  in  by  mountains  so  high 
that  the  clouds  themselves  could  not  see  their  top.  And 
great  icicles  shone  at  the  entrance  of  the  valley.  The 
dragon  was  wealthy  and  hoarded  immense  treasure;  he 
took  from  all  the  warriors  and  kings  and  princes  whom 
he  killed  in  fight,  because  every  morning  he  went  and 
waited  at  the  entrance  of  the  valley,  beneath  the  great 
icicles,  to  watch  the  people  who  passed.  And  on  their  way 
he  stopped  them  and  said  :  "  I'll  kill  you  fairly  in  fair  fight. 
There  is  but  one  way  of  escape  ;  try  to  guess  the  questions 
I  put  to  you."  And  the  dragon  said  :  "  Try  to  tell  me  why 
this  valley  in  which  summer  reigns  is  surrounded  by  icicles 
as  hard  as  the  hardest  stone  in  winter."  The  dragon  had  a 
son  he  loved,  a  human  boy  with  merry  blue  eyes  and  long 
golden  locks.  Long  before  this  tale  began  he  had  been 
married  to  a  princess  who  died  in  giving  birth   to   this 


52  Mihai. 

beautiful  child.  She  died  from  fright  because  she  had 
never  seen  her  husband  in  his  real  form,  for  whenever  he 
approached  her  he  wore  the  countenance  of  a  warrior,  but 
one  night  when  he  believed  she  was  not  there  he  took  off 
his  biggest  ring  and  immediately  became  the  awful  red 
dragon  of  the  valley.  She  saw  him  and  dropped  dead. 
"  Father,"  said  one  evening  Mihai  to  his  father,  who  in  the 
presence  of  his  child  was  a  tall  stalwart  hero,  and  wore  a 
silver  mantle,  "  Father,  the  trees  in  this  valley  tell  strange 
tales  of  an  awful  red  dragon  who  kills  warriors  and  kings, 
and  feeds  on  human  blood.  Now  I  am  grown  up  and  strong 
I  want  to  be  a  hero.  I  want  to  kill  the  red  dragon  who 
feeds  on  human  blood."  The  dragon  shivered  and  answered: 
"  Alas!  my  son,  maybe  the  dragon  is  not  as  wicked  as  the 
trees  say.  Maybe  his  fate  is  to  love  human  blood,  maybe 
he  cannot  eat  nor  drink  anything  else  but  human  blood 
and  human  flesh."  "What  carelfor  the  dragon's  fate,  father? 
I  care  for  the  warriors  he  kills,  and  I  must  save  them. 
Give  me  a  bright  sword,  and  I  will  find  the  dragon  and 
pierce  his  heart."  The  dragon  sighed  and  answered:  "Yes, 
my  son,  I'll  give  thee  a  sword,  but  maybe  e'en  without 
the  bright  sword  thou  wilt  pierce  the  poor  dragon's  heart." 
Mihai  took  leave  of  his  father  and  left  the  lonely  valley. 
The  dragon  saw  him  depart  and  said:  "  My  joy  is  gone. 
O  when  will  my  fair  son  come  back  to  me  ?  "  During  three 
days  the  dragon  sat  on  a  cold  stone  and  wept,  and  would 
not  think  of  killing  human  beings,  as  he  took  no  rest  nor 
food.    But  the  fourth  day  he  felt  weak  and  faint,  and  he 


Mihai.  53 

ran  to  the  entrance  of  the  valley.  He  saw  an  old  Voivode 
ride  pass,  and  fought  with  him  and  killed  him,  and  de- 
voured him  on  the  spot.  The  Voivode  round  his  neck  wore 
an  enchanted  whistle,  a  little  ivory  whistle  which  the 
dragon  took  to  his  cavern,  and  he  thought:  "I  will  give 
this  whistle  to  my  son  when  he  returns."  Mihai  rode  fast, 
Mihai  rode  gaily,  for  his  gay  youth  rode  with  him  and 
laughed,  and  Mihai  said  :  "O  the  days  of  youth  are  sunny 
days  indeed,  and  the  young  warrior  who  rides  a  young 
horse  is  the  creature  on  earth  on  whom  most  gaily  the  days 
of  youth  rise  and  smile."  Yet  he  had  not  ridden  ten  miles 
before  he  heard  a  pitiful  scream,  and  "Help!  help!  young 
warrior,  whoever  thou  may'st  be,"  was  said  a  few  steps  from 
his  ear.  He  rushed  eagerly  forward  and  saw  a  young  maid 
whom  a  great  brown  bear  was  about  to  carry  away.  Mihai 
rushed  at  the  bear,  and  the  monster  felt  the  youth's  strong 
sword ;  the  youth's  strong  sword  searched  for  the  monster's 
heart  and  .  .  .  found  it.  And  the  monster's  heart  stopped 
its  beatings,  and  the  monster  fell  dead  at  his  feet.  "  Thanks, 
handsome  hero,"  said  the  trembling  maid.  "  I  had  left  our 
palace  at  dawn  with  my  father,  but  he  is  now  away  in  the 
forest.  I  stopped  to  play  in  the  grass  and  search  fresh 
berries.  My  horse  is  tied  to  a  fine  green  tree.  The  horrible 
bear  was  upon  me  before  I  had  time  to  draw  my  knife. 
Thou  hast  saved  me.  I  am  the  daughter  of  the  great 
Voivode,  who  dwells  by  the  two  rivers  whose  whisper 
thou  canst  hear.  Come  to  our  fair  palace,  handsome  hero. 
My  father  will  like  to  see  thee,  and  so  will  our  warriors 


54  Mihai. 

dear,  and  I  will  give  thee  a  yellow  and  silvery  veil  and  a 
red  belt  my  own  hands  have  adorned."  But  Mihai  answered: 
"  Fair  maid,  give  me  thy  smile  which  with  his  own  hands 
hath  God  adorned;  give  me  thy  love."  The  Princess 
blushed  and  smiled,  for  never  in  her  father's  palace  had 
she  seen  such  a  handsome  youth,  and  she  had  witnessed 
his  brave  deed  and  felt  proud  of  his  love.  They  rode  to- 
gether in  silence,  and  looked  at  each  other  so  oft  that  their 
horses  reared  and  stumbled,  till  they  laughed  at  their  own 
neglect,  and  said:  "  These  horses  are  maddened  to  carry  so 
happy  a  pair."  But  when  they  came  near  the  beautiful  palace 
the  sound  of  grief  greeted  them,  and  the  Princess  rode  fast 
in  front  till  she  reached  the  marble  steps.  She  then  asked: 
"  Why  do  my  maidens  wail  ?  Why  are  our  warriors 
silent? "  At  first  no  one  dared  to  answer,  and  the  maidens 
covered  their  eyes  with  their  hands.  At  last  the  eldest 
among  the  warriors  stepped  forward  and  said:  "Fair  Prin- 
cess, brave  daughter  of  a  brave  prince,  open  thy  tresses  and 
spill  thy  hair  on  thy  white  shoulders;  thy  brave  father  is  dead. 
The  red  dragon  has  killed  him  at  the  entrance  of  the  valley." 
The  Princess  answered:  "I  will  not  weep;  even  beyond  the 
grave  may  my  brave  father  rejoice  he  hath  a  brave  daughter; 
but  my  sorrow  is  great  as  the  forest  and  the  skies.  Bring 
up  my  father's  wildest  horse  and  I  will  ride  the  steed,  and  I 
will  ride  to  the  place  where  my  father  lies,  and  bring  back 
his  body  on  his  own  fiery  steed." 

But  instead  of  obeying,  once  more  the  warriors  were 
silent,  and  the  Princess  understood  and  entered  her  bower, 


Mihai.  55 

where  she  sobbed  and  rent  her  purple  mantle  and  her  long 
veil.  The  summer  night  came  in,  the  warriors  had 
prayed  for  the  prince's  soul  in  the  wide  church,  but  the 
Princess  had  not  left  her  bower  nor  spoken  a  word.  At 
last  her  favourite  maid  knelt  before  her  and  said:  "Great 
Princess,  this  man,  this  unknown  who  rode  back  with  thee 
in  this  fearful  day,  desires  thee  to  know  he  hath  sworn  on 
thy  own  sweet  face  and  on  thy  silvery  veil  he  will  kill  the 
red  dragon,  and  bring  the  monster's  head  to  thy  palace 
gate."  The  Princess  answered :  "I  must  see  the  youth.  He 
has  saved  my  life,  and  now  perhaps  will  revenge  my  father; 
I  must  see  him."  "  Handsome  hero,"  said  the  Princess  to 
Mihai  as  he  entered  her  bower,  "  we  have  given  thee  a  sad 
welcome.  Our  souls  are  sad.  Wilt  thou  leave  our  sad  palace 
without  gazing  upon  its  treasures,  our  useless  love;  useless, 
indeed,  because  my  father's  dead?  " 

Mihai  answered :  "  I  would  not  gaze  on  any  treasures, 
fair  Princess,  which  my  eyes  would  hold  dearer  than  thy 
dear  self.  I  love  thee,  and  I  will  take  thee  to  my  father's 
home  in  the  valley.  It  is  a  wild  place,  but  lovely,  and  love 
makes  everything  bright."  The  Princess  said :  "  I'll  come 
to  the  valley  and  to  thy  father's  home,  handsome  hero, 
and  I  will  be  thy  bride,  and  I'll  marry  thee  when  the  red 
dragon  is  killed.  Go  thou  to  thy  father  and  tell  him  I  will 
come  in  three  days  to  visit  his  home  and  to  sue  for  his 
blessing,  for  a  happy  father  is  he  who  has  such  a  handsome 
and  brave  son."  .  .  .  The  red  dragon  lay  on  the  grass  and 
gazed  lazily  at  the  sun.    "  Where  can  my  son  be  at  this 


56  Mihai. 

hour?"  thought  he;  "  O  where  is  my  handsome  Mihai  ?  " 
At  this  moment  the  sound  of  a  horse's  hoof  broke  on 
his  dreams,  and  he  quickly  took  up  his  human  form  as  he 
perceived  Mihai  riding  hastily  towards  him.  "Father, 
great  news!  I'm  in  love  with  a  fair  Princess,  and  she  will 
be  my  bride.  She'll  come  to  this  wild  valley  and  stay  one 
whole  day  with  thee."  The  dragon  answered:  "  If  she  's  a 
prince's  daughter  and  lives  in  a  great  palace,  we  must  build 
a  palace  here."  " Father,  she  comes  in  three  days."  "Never 
mind,  boy,  go  and  sleep  on  thy  couch  and  leave  the  rest 
to  me."  Mihai  slept,  and  the  dragon  drew  a  magic  sword 
from  its  scabbard,  and  he  traced  on  the  earth  and  he  traced 
in  the  air  the  form  of  a  beautiful  palace.  And  lo!  the  icicles 
came  forth  of  themselves  and  whirled  and  danced  and  ran  till 
a  beautiful  palace  made  of  ice  rose  in  the  wild  valley.  The 
dragon  itself  wondered  at  its  magnificence  and  said:  "  My 
boy  will  be  well  pleased  and  the  bride  happy.  I'm  a  clever  red 
dragon;  my  son  may  be  proud  of  his  father  now."  Mihai 
rose  before  dawn,  for  he  had  dreamt  of  his  love  and  wished 
to  speak  of  her  again  and  hear  his  voice  pronounce  her 
charming  name.  At  the  sight  of  the  splendid  palace  he 
exclaimed:  "This  is  a  wizard's  work — a  treasure,  a  joy 
indeed,  but  is  my  father  a  wizard  ?  I  would  not  be  a 
wizard'sson."  And  the  trembling  dragon  said:  "Mihai, I'm 
not  a  wizard,  but  a  fairy  who  loved  me  when  I  was  hand- 
some and  young  1  *.$  thee,  sometimes  helps  me  still  when  I 
call  her.  She  has  been  here  this  night."  So  Mihai  was  quite 
content,  and,  as  the  Princess  rode  in  the  wild  valley,  he  met 


Mihai.  57 

her  with  a  gracious  bow,  he  kissed  her  hands  and  lips,  and 
said:  "  Here  is  the  palace  where  our  warm  love  will  dwell. 
It  is  made  of  ice,  my  dear  bride,  but  our  love  will  warm 
it  soon.  'Tis  the  work  of  a  loving  fairy  who  loved  my  father 
when  he  was  handsome  andyoung."  "  Handsome  and  young 
like  thee,  Mihai,"  answered  his  bride,  and  the  dragon  in 
silver  vestment,  the  dragon  in  human  form  stepped  forth 
to  greet  the  fair  maiden  and  kissed  her  gentle  hand  and 
kissed  her  gentle  forehead  and  said:  "  Surely,  sweet  maiden, 
on  the  ground  where  thy  soft  feet  tread  flowers  will  grow 
by  thousands  and  the  sun  love  to  shine."  Then  they 
entered  the  wonderful  palace  and  wandered  along  its  halls. 
Then  they  leant  on  the  brilliant  columns  that  bore  its 
terraces  white.  All  at  once  the  Princess  exclaimed:  "  I've 
lost  my  bird — 'tis  a  favourite  falcon,  'tis  yellow!  who 
follows  me  when  I  ride;  had  I  but  my  ivory  whistle  I 
would  soon  call  the  falcon  back."  "  Here  's  a  whistle  for 
thee,  fair  sweet  lady,"  answered  the  dragon,  and  he  handed 
her  the  whistle  he  had  found  on  the  dead  Voivode.  The 
Princess  grew  pale,  the  Princess  sighed  and  wept.  "  O 
Mihai,  here 's  my  father's  whistle,  which  he  wore  on  a 
golden  chain.  O  Mihai,  here  's  his  own  dear  whistle 
which  he  wore  in  his  golden  belt.  Tell  me,  whence  comes 
this  whistle,  and  why  it  dwells  with  thee  ?  "  The  dragon 
trembled,  for  Mihai's  keen  eyes  now  rested  on  his  father's 
face.  "  Great  Princess,  the  wandering  brook  who  wanders 
through  many  lands  hath  brought  this  whistle  to  the 
bank  where  I  sat  in  the  summer  grass.     Let  me  keep 


58  Mihai. 

the  ivory  whistle  and  wear  it  near  my  heart."  Now 
there  was  a  drop  of  the  Voivode's  blood  on  the  ivory 
whistle,  and  the  Princess  kissed  the  purple  spot.  Then 
Mihai  dismissed  the  sad  subject,  and  they  all  sat  down 
to  eat.  And  the  rich  wine  filled  the  diamond  cups, 
and  Mihai  and  his  bride  were  so  gay.  The  dragon  him- 
self said  in  his  thoughts:  "I  was  never  so  happy  in  all  my 
life."  But  he  trembled  again  when  the  Princess  asked:  "  O 
why  dost  thou  not  eat?  "  He  answered  :  "I  eat  only  fruit 
that  grows  on  the  distant  mountain  tops."  Then  they  spoke 
of  warriors  and  horses,  of  falcons  and  wild  beasts.  Then 
they  sang  each  a  song,  and  Mihai  asked  his  father  to  kiss 
his  fair  bride's  hair.  And  the  dragon  rose,  and  with  his  lips 
just  touched  the  bride's  soft  hair.  Just  at  that  moment  the 
drop  of  blood  on  the  ivory  whistle  said  aloud  :  "  How  can  a 
Princess  allow  her  father's  murderer  to  touch  her  hair  with 
his  lips  ?"  The  Princess  grew  faint  and  asked:  "Whence 
came  those  awful  words? "  The  dragon  again  trembled  and 
said :  "  'Tis  a  tame  sparrow,  whom  the  fairy  I  loved  has  en- 
dowed with  the  gift  of  speech.  'Tis  a  sparrow,  and  speaks 
at  random — let  us  drink  the  rich  burning  wine."  Then 
Mihai  said  again  to  his  father:  "Just  gaze  in  my  sweet 
bride's  eyes.  Her  eyes  are  as  clear  as  the  river;"  and  the 
dragon  gazed,  and  the  drop  of  blood  on  the  whistle  spoke 
once  more  quite  loudly  and  said :  "  How  can  a  great  Prin- 
cess allow  her  father's  murderer  to  gaze  into  her  eyes?" 
Again  the  dragon  trembled,  again  the  dragon  said:  "'Tis 
the  wind  in  the  willow  branches.    The  wind  sometimes 


Mihai.  59 

says  weird  tales.  Let  us  walk  by  the  flowing  river  where 
the  long  rushes  sing."  And  Mihai  then  said  to  his  father: 
"  Father,  take  the  Princess's  hand,  for  I'll  hold  her  flowers, 
and  her  dagger,  and  her  embroidered  veil."  But  when  the 
dragon  took  the  proffered  hand,  the  terrible  voice  rose 
high:  "  Touch  not  the  hand  of  thy  father's  murderer,  Prin- 
cess." Mihai  drew  out  his  sword  to  kill  the  invisible  fiend; 
then  he  said:  "It  is  madness,  for  we  all  know  the  red 
dragon  is  the  Voivode's  murderer.  I  have  sworn  to  my 
bride  that  I  would  meet  the  red  dragon  and  kill  him  as  he 
killed  her  father,  or  die  in  his  embrace."  For  the  third  time 
the  ominous  voice  said:  "  Mihai  has  broken  his  promise — 
Mihai  will  not  keep  his  word." 

Then  furiously  Mihai  took  his  dear  bride's  hand  and 
swore  a  solemn  oath:  "I  swear,"  said  he,  "that  I  will  neither 
eat  nor  drink,  nor  look  again  into  thy  soft  eyes,  nor  call 
myself  a  true  warrior  till  I  bring  back  the  red  dragon's 
body  to  this  place."  The  poor  dragon  trembled  and  said: 
"  My  son,  thy  oath  is  rash  ;  for  what  mortal  can  be  strong 
without  food,  and  attack  wild  beasts  and  dragons  when  he 
fasts  ? "  Mihai  said :  "Thou  art  right,  father ;  but  the  words 
are  spoken,  the  time  is  spent ;  farewell !  "  The  fair  bride 
wept  and  the  dragon  sighed  and  pondered,  for  he  well  knew 
his  son's  proud  heart,  and  knew  Mihai  would  neither  taste 
wine,  water  or  flesh  or  fruit  before  he  had  killed  the  dragon. 
And  he  also  knew  the  dragon  would  not  come  in  his  way. 
So  he  took  leave  also  of  the  fair  Princess,  and  sought  his 
magic  wand  and  asked  counsel:  "  I  am  the  murderer,  magic 


60  Mihai. 

wand,  I  am  the  dragon.  My  son  must  kill  a  red  dragon 
before  the  night  is  spent."  And  the  magic  wand  answered: 
"  Get  him  to  break  his  vow  and  to  drink  a  drop  of  thy  blood ; 
then  he'll  imagine  he  has  killed  the  red  dragon  and  left  his 
body  in  a  mighty  river,  and  thou  wilt  give  him  one  of  thy 
dreadful  teeth  to  bring  back  to  his  bride."  Three  days  the 
dragon  in  his  human  form  walked  through  the  forest  till 
he  came  upon  his  son.  Three  days  Mihai  had  wandered 
without  tasting  water  nor  food,  but  his  courage  was  still 
alive  in  his  eyes,  though  his  hand  and  his  voice  were  weak. 
"  Well,  my  son,  hast  thou  seen  the  monster?  "  "  No,  my 
father;  it  goes  hard  with  me."  "Art  thou  hungry  or  thirsty, 
my  darling?  M   "'Tis  the  thirst  that  burns  my  heart." 

"Surely,  my  son,  thou  canst  quench  thy  thirst  with  a 
drop  of  thy  father's  blood.  My  blood  is  still  fresh,  I  will 
give  some  to  thee."  But  Mihai  answered:  "No,  I  have 
sworn  a  solemn  oath."  "  Thou  hast  sworn  to  drink  neither 
wine  nor  water,  but  who  thought  then  of  thy  father's 
blood?"  But  Mihai  said :" No, I  must  ride  away.  O  father, 
do  not  tempt  me."  And  he  rode  three  days,  and  his  father 
followed  and  gazed  at  him  from  afar,  and  saw  him  tremble 
and  droop,  and  ran  again  to  his  side.  "  Father,  brave  father, 
I'm  dying,  but  I  have  kept  my  oath.  The  dragon  I  have 
not  found,  but  no  drop  of  wine  nor  water  nor  food  hath 
touched  my  lips."  "  Surely,  my  son,  this  must  cease.  I  will 
open  my  veins,  my  blood  will  flow,  and  thou  wilt  drink 
my  blood."  "  No,  father,  I  must  not  drink;  most  sacred  is 
a  hero's  word,  as  sacred  as  his  deeds.     Most  sacred  is  the 


Mihai.  6 1 

hero's  death  when  he  dies  to  keep  his  word."  And  Mihai 
lay  at  the  foot  of  a  tree  and  said  farewell  to  his  life.  Then 
said  his  father :  "  My  brave  son,  walk  ten  steps  after  sunset, 
walk  to  the  banks  of  the  river  whose  reeds  are  high  and 
thick;  there  wilt  thou  find  the  red  dragon,  who  will  fight 
a  great  fight  with  thee."  And  Mihai  watched  his  father  go 
towards  the  river,  and  then  he  saw  no  more ;  but  when  the 
sun  had  set  he  tottered  to  his  feet,  and  walked  ten  steps  and 
saw  the  great  river,  and  lo !  between  the  reeds  the  red  dragon, 
most  awful  to  behold,  rose  before  him.  With  a  shout  of 
joy  and  hatred  Mihai  drew  out  his  bright  sword,  but  before 
he  had  time  to  plunge  it  in  the  monster's  jaws  the  dragon 
lay  dead  in  the  river,  and  Mihai  sighed  and  thought: 
"  How  is  it  possible  the  red  dragon  should  die  thus?  My 
father  surely  has  killed  him  by  poisoning  his  food.  I  will 
reproach  my  father,  who  has  stolen  a  fair  deed  from  me. 
I  cannot  boast  I  have  killed  the  dragon."  And  he  cried  and 
his  tears  fell  thick  on  his  bright  useless  sword. 

Three  days  and  three  nights  in  his  gorgeous  palace 
Mihai  held  a  revel  and  smiled.  His  fair  bride  smiled  too, 
and  when  their  eyes  met  she  said  :  "  My  handsome  hero." 
He  said :  "  My  lovely  bride."  "  But  why  is  father  away  so 
long?"  said  she.  "Why  does  not  my  father  come?"  he  said. 
And  by  the  fourth  day  their  hearts  grew  dull,  and  they 
watched  and  hoped  in  vain,  till  Mihai  said,  as  tears  fell 
thick  upon  his  handsome  face:  "My  father's  dead,  I'm 
sure  he 's  dead ;  he  killed  the  red  dragon  and  died  from  a 
wound  which  the  red  monster  made.     Or  maybe  he  rests 


62  Mihai. 

in  the  river,  where  the  red  monster  threw  him.  Alas!  my 
father's  dead."  "O  my  handsome  lord,"  answered  his  gentle 
bride,  "  send  all  my  warriors  to  search  thy  father  in  dale 
and  forest;  surely  they'll  find  him  soon."  And  warriors  rode 
in  forest  and  dale  while  Mihai  gazed  and  wept.  At  last 
sleep  closed  his  dreary  eyes,  and  in  a  dream  he  saw  his 
father,  who  said  :  "Yes,  I  am  dead,  fair  son;  I  cannot  tell 
thee  more.  My  crimes  were  great  and  many,  but  I  have 
loved  thee  well.  Then  speak  no  more  of  the  red  dragon, 
but  often  speak  of  me,  and  whenever  thou  drawest  thy 
bright  sword  in  tournament  or  war,  call  on  thy  father's 
name,  and  he  will  help  thee  to  remain  a  true  knight,  a 
brave  warrior,  O  handsome  hero,  my  son ! " 

This  tale  was  told  to  me  by  a  shepherd  zuho  lives  in  the 
mountains^  and  who  knows  no  other  tale.  He  said :  "I give  my 
only  tale  to  thee?'' 


The  White  Serpent,  63 


THE  WHITE  SERPENT  AND   THE  LITTLE 
BEGGAR  GIRL. 

In  a  village  by  the  Danube  lived  a  little  beggar  girl. 
She  was  called  Mesandra,  and  had  neither  known  her 
father  nor  her  mother.  She  sang  sweet  songs  and  told 
bright  tales,  and  the  peasants  took  care  she  should  never 
want  a  shelter  or  food.  But  Mesandra  loved  to  sleep  out 
in  the  cool  summer  night,  and  in  winter,  even  when  the 
nights  were  snowy  and  cold,  she  would  not  seek  the  shel- 
ter of  a  roof.  As  she  grew  old  she  became  fair  and  rosy, 
and  all  the  young  men  who  saw  her  loved  Mesandra.  She 
would  not  hear  a  word  of  love  nor  ever  sing  a  song  where 
love  blossomed  like  a  flower.  Mesandra  was  a  strange  girl. 
One  night,  as  she  sat  gazing  at  the  mighty  river,  she  saw 
a  white  snake  float  on  the  water,  and  instead  of  wondering 
at  this  singular  incident,  she  asked  the  white  snake:  "Where 
art  thou  going,  strange  white  thing?"  And  the  snake  said : 
"  Bless' d  be  thou,  sweet  maid,  for  those  few  words.  Thou 
canst  not  guess  what  a  treasure  thy  question  is  to  me.  I 
am  going  to  my  home  in  the  river.  I  dwell  in  the  waters 
deep;  'tis  a  place  where  the  water  is  green  and  blue, 
because  a  mountain's  shadow  sleeps  on  the  bosom  of  the 
wave.  My  house  is  a  green  palace,  and  there  I  dwell  with 
my  mother."   "  O  strange  white  thing,"  said  Mesandra,  "I 


64  The  White  Serpent. 

would  love  to  see  thy  home,  I  would  love  to  see  thy  mother. 
I  would  love  to  float  with  thee  in  the  arms  of  the  great 
river."  And  the  white  serpent  then  said  :  "  Come."  And 
Mesandra  lay  on  the  serpent's  back,  and  they  flew  with 
the  tide,  and  the  waters  made  a  gurgling  sound  about  her 
which  pleased  the  fair  maid  well. 

They  reached  a  spot  by  the  mountain,  and  as  dawn  now 
came  on  the  Danube,  Mesandra  noticed  the  water  was 
green  under  the  green  shadow.  They  plunged  in  the  deep 
green  water,  and  lo!  a  beautiful  palace  was  right  under 
the  maid's  feet.  The  white  serpent  whistled,  and  his  mother 
came  forth,  and  Mesandra  saw  she  was  an  old  woman  who 
held  a  distaff  and  a  spindle,  and  looked  at  her  with  hatred 
and  asked:  "Who  is  this  maid?"  "I'm Mesandra, the  pretty 
orphan  who  lives  in  the  village  afar.  I  have  come  to  see 
thy  palace,  for  thy  son  is  kind  to  me."  She  grumbled  and 
turned  her  back,  and  threw  her  spindle  aside,  and  said: 
"  My  son,  how  imprudent  to  bring  this  mortal  here."  The 
white  serpent  answered :  "  Think,  she  may  save  me  from 
my  fate,  O  mother.  Have  I  not  the  right  to  hope  ?  " 
And  he  gave  the  maid  a  blue  mantle,  and  many  an  em- 
broidered veil,  and  he  said:  "  Speak  out  thy  every  wish,  sweet 
maid.  We  are  wealthy,  O  wealthier  by  far  than  the  wealthiest 
King  or  Voivode.  Thou  may'st  walk  all  the  rooms  in  the 
palace,  and  walk  all  its  terraces  too.  There 's  a  garden, 
and  there 's  a  great  forest,  and  above  our  heads  the  great 
river  will  sing  night  and  day  in  thy  ears." 

Mesandra  wondered,  and  found  the  palace  was  fair  in- 


and  the  Little  Beggar  Girl.  65 

deed,  such  as  she  had  never  dreamt  of  in  her  fairest  dreams. 
But  no  step,  no  sound  was  heard  within  in  bower  or  gar- 
den, no  face  was  seen  between  the  lofty  garden-trees.  And 
before  night  she  felt  the  pang  of  heartrending  solitude,  but 
spoke  not  of  her  awe  and  wonder,  but  listened  to  the  white 
serpent's  word.  He  said,  when  he  met  her  at  supper:  "  My 
mother  lives  in  the  tower,  and  rarely  descends  its  steps. 
Never  try  to  see  my  old  mother  when  she  calls  not  on  thee 
to  come."  And  the  white  serpent  spoke  so  earnestly,  Mes- 
andra  felt  there  must  be  a  great  secret,  and  that  the  secret 
of  the  weird  dwelling  dwelt  with  that  old  woman  in  the 
silent  tower,  where  she  must  never  go.  And  from  that 
hour  she  thought  of  nothing  else. 

Days  glided  on  and  months;  Mesandra  grew  sad  and 
weary  of  her  lonely  life,  and  she  one  morning  expressed 
the  wish  to  return  to  the  village.  At  this,  the  serpent  hissed 
in  wrath;  then  she  noticed  tears  in  his  kind  eyes,  and  said 
to  herself:  "  I'll  wait,  some  change  must  come.  I'll  bring  a 
change.  I'll  find  the  way  out  of  this  dreary  place."  But  she 
felt  so  sick  at  heart  that  she  could  neither  touch  her  golden 
lute,  nor  play  with  the  wonderful  jewels  the  serpent  gave 
her  each  day.  Then  she  went  to  him  again,  and  uttered 
a  deep  moan,  and  as  he  did  not  ask  why  she  sighed,  Mes- 
andra broke  the  silence  and  cried  in  anguish  deep:  "  I  have 
never  thought  of  love  and  a  lover,  but  now  I  must  think 
and  say:  'O  why  art  thou  not,  thou  strange  white  thing, 
a  lover  tall  and  brave  ?  For  if  the  soft  flame  of  manly  love 
could  burn  within  thy  soul,  thou  would'st  pity  me  and  kiss 

F 


66  The  White  Serpent 

my  lips  and  favour  my  heart's  desire.'  "  "  What,"  said  the 
white  serpent,  and  he  trembled  so  that  the  palace  trembled 
too,  "canst  thou  swear,  O  maid,  thou  hast  ne'er  before 
sighed  for  love  or  a  lover's  face  ?  "  And  Mesandra:  "  I  have 
never  loved  nor  ever  thought  of  love."  He  trembled  so  that 
the  terraces  round  and  the  garden  trembled  too.  "  Then," 
said  he,  "  come  quick!  "  and  they  crossed  the  halls  till  they 
reached  a  silver  door.  At  that  door  he  knocked  with  his 
snow-white  head,  and  a  voice  cried :  "  Who 's  there?  "  "  I 
have  come  to  say  the  maiden  is  here  who  hath  never  dreamt 
of  love."  And  through  the  door  the  voice  replied  :  "  'Tis 
true,  I  see  her  heart.  Then  rejoice  and  be  free."  And  in- 
stantly the  white  serpent  became  a  handsome  young  warrior, 
who  fell  at  Mesandra's  feet,  and  said:  "I  love  thee."  And 
she  learnt  to  love,  for  he  was  handsome  and  bright.  And 
she  no  longer  wished  to  leave  the  fine  green  palace.  The 
old  mother  smiled  when  she  saw'her  son  resume  his  fair 
countenance,  of  which  a  bad  wizard  had  deprived  him  till 
the  day  when  he  should  find  a  maid  who  had  never  dreamt 
of  love. 

During  the  first  months  of  her  married  life  Mesandra 
felt  she  had  found  her  happiness  indeed.  Her  handsome 
spouse  loved  her,  and  when  he  returned  home  every  night 
she  felt  her  heart  leap  with  gladness  and  ran  to  meet  him. 
She  heard  his  step  from  afar,  but  she  knew  he  always  first 
went  to  see  his  mother,  so  she  had  to  wait  a  few  minutes 
before  he  came  towards  her.  The  old  woman  never 
troubled  Mesandra,  nor  entered  her  bower,  nor  spoke  a 


and  the  Little  Beggar  Girl.  67 

word  of  affection  or  hatred  to  her,  yet  Mesandra  loved  not 
her  dark  face  and  her  angry  eyes  as  they  rested  on  the  fair 
girl's  young  beauty.  Then  Mesandra  grew  to  desire  madly 
one  thing  which  she  felt  she  ought  not  to  desire.  Her 
husband  had  a  secret ;  his  mother  knew  it,  and  she  was  the 
only  one  who  knew  it  not.  Where  spent  he  all  his  days? 
and  why  did  he  go  to  his  mother's  chamber  before  he  met 
his  dear  young  spouse?  This  thought  kept  the  girl  awake 
many  a  night,  till  she  decided  to  watch.  So  she  hid  herself 
by  the  palace  gate,  and,  without  being  seen,  she  followed 
her  husband's  steps.  She  followed  him  and  he  knocked  at 
his  mother's  door.  The  old  mother  opened  and  said:  "  Hast 
thou  found  the  flower  that  makes  me  glad?"  And  he  an- 
swered despondently:  "Alas!  no,  to-day  I  have  not  found 
the  flower,  dear."  "  'Tis  because  of  thy  wife,  the  fair  Me- 
sandra. The  love  of  thy  wife  drives  thee  away  from  duty." 
He  answered  not,  but  rose  to  join  Mesandra,  and  Me- 
sandra in  her  inmost  heart  felt  joyful  he  had  not  brought 
the  flower,  yet  curious  to  know  what  that  flower  could  be 
his  mother  thus  longed  to  breathe.  The  next  day  and  the 
next  day  he  made  the  same  weary  answer,  and  the  old 
woman  wept,  and  Mesandra,  though  she  loved  her  not, 
pitied  her  in  her  grief.  But  the  fourth  day  the  young  man 
bore  in  his  hand  a  blue  flower,  and  his  mother's  joy  was 
so  great  that  she  screamed  and  said:  "  O  blue  flower,  thou 
art  my  life  and  my  fire,  my  summer  and  my  food,"  and 
she  pressed  the  flower  against  her  heart  and  lifted  it  to  her 
nostrils,  and  all  at  once  she  became  a  beautiful  queen  with 


68  The  White  Serpent 

a  crown  of  burning  red  rubies  on  her  head,  and  her  belt 
and  her  slippers  were  of  red  red  rubies,  and  Mesandra  saw 
her  young  husband  kiss  her  and  heard  him  say:  "My  love." 
At  this  she  flew  away  in  utter  grief  and  rage,  and  ran 
to  her  bower  and  took  her  dagger  and  rushed  in  the  room 
where  the  beautiful  Queen  sat  by  the  side  of  Mesandra's 
husband,  and  saying  to  the  amazed  pair:  "  Ye  false  ones, 
take  your  due,"  she  killed  them  before  they  had  time  to 
lift  up  their  eyes  and  see  her;  and  their  red  blood  ran 
warm  on  the  crystal  floor  till  the  floor  was  a  floor  of 
rubies,  and  the  red  blood  said:  "I'm  warm,  but  in  a  moment 
I  will  be  black  and  cold ;  I'll  speak  and  tell  thee,  Mesandra, 
the  crime  that  thou  hast  done.  This  beautiful  Queen  who 
lies  at  thy  feet  was  thy  husband's  dear  sister;  the  same 
wizard  who  had  changed  thy  husband  into  a  white  snake 
had  made  the  fair  girl  an  old  woman.  She  could  only 
resume  her  graceful  self  by  breathing  the  rare  blue  flower." 
Mesandra  wrung  her  hands  in  despair,  and  said:  "  Dear  red 
blood,  speak  on,  speak  on  and  curse  me  " ;  but  the  blood 
could  speak  no  more,  as  it  had  become  black  and  cold.  So 
she  wandered  along  the  desert  palace  and  sang  a  death- 
dirge  and  wept.  Then  she  mounted  the  highest  tower  and 
said  to  the  Danube:  "  Great  river,  O  do  come  to  me  and 
take  me  in  thy  arms  and  take  me  to  my  village  small, 
where  I  was  a  beggar  girl."  And  the  great  Danube  came 
and  took  the  maiden  and  carried  her  to  her  village  again. 
But  when  she  related  her  story  they  all  said  she  was  mad. 
She  gazed  all  day  at  the  river  and  had  no  other  joy. 


and  the  Little  Beggar  Girl.  69 

Her  tears  fell  in  the  river  and  made  the  water  salt. 

And  the  Danube  said:  "  That  fair  girl's  tears  will  make 
all  my  water  salt."  .  .  .  The  village  was  gay  with  thousand 
songs,  the  village  was  gay  with  voices  and  lutes.  The 
King  of  the  land  on  his  jet-black  horse  came  to  the  village 
small.  "O  great  King,  what  shall  we  give  thee?  What 
wilt  thou  take  from  us?  Here  is  salt,  here  is  bread,  and  a 
sheath  of  corn,  and  a  horse  as  tall  as  thine,  and  three 
silver  belts  and  a  brown  fur  cap  with  twenty  peacock 
plumes."  "  O  my  people,  thank  you  all !  I  will  take  naught 
to-day,  naught  will  I  take  from  the  village  except  the 
beggar  girl  who  cries  by  the  great  Danube  and  will  make 
its  waters  salt."  So  Mesandra  was  brought  from  the  great 
river's  banks.  She  saw  and  cried:  "There's  the  dead. 
There's  my  dead  love,"  and  staggered  and  fell  senseless 
at  his  feet.  "  She 's  mad,  dear  lord,"  said  the  people.  "She's 
my  wife,  and  I'll  take  her  home."  So  he  threw  the  girl 
on  his  saddle,  and  joyful  rode  away.  She  awoke  in  his 
sturdy  arms.  "  I  am  in  the  arms  of  the  dead.  I  am  pleased 
to  be  dead  and  with  thee."  "  'Tis  true  I  am  dead,  my  Me- 
sandra. I  have  come  to  take  thee  away. — And  those  people, 
they  will  learn  to-morrow  that  their  King  was  dead,  and 
his  shadow  came  to  take  his  beloved  away.  For  I  was  thy 
King,  my  Mesandra,  and  now  I  am  dead  like  thee." 

This  tale  was  told  by  a  young  soldier,  whose  horse  was  tied 
to  a  tree.  He  said  he  knew  as  many  tales  as  he  had  hairs  in 
his  head,  but  he  was  in  a  hurry  and  could  but  tell  this  short 
and  simple  tale. 


jo  The  Wicked  King. 


THE  WICKED  KING. 

"  There  is  no  one  near  the  sheep. 
Where  is  the  shepherd?  " 
"  The  shepherd  is  in  love  with  the  young  moon, 

And  till  she  appears  in  the  sky  he  will  not  listen  to 
what  thou  sayest,  nor  look  after  his  sheep" 
"  O  listless  shepherd,  come, 
And  I  will  tell  thee  a  tale  that  will  make  thee  forget  the  hour 
when  the  moon  rises,  and  the  hour 
When  the  moon  disappears. 
O  why,  listless  shepherd,  dost  thou  love  the  changing  moon  ? 
Or  has  the  sweet  spirit  of  thy  dead  mother 
Gone  to  the  white  gardens  in  the  moon? 
But  Til  tell  thee  a  tale  which  once  was  told  to  me 
By  a  travelling  cloud  in  the  sky. 
For  I  talk  to  the  clouds  and  they  answer. 
The  clouds  are  my  only  friends, 
So  Fll  tell  thee  this  tale,  listless  shepherd.'" 

There  was  a  wicked  King  who  had  a  beauteous  daughter, 
And  her  face  was  like  gold,  and  her  arms  and  her 

throat  were  all  like  living  gold, 
And  wherever  she  went  a  golden  light  followed, 


The  Wicked  King.  71 

And  her  hands  in  the  dark  shone  like  a  golden  flame, 

And  her  eyes  on  dark  nights  were  like  two  golden 

stars, 
And  her  slippers  were  golden,  and  she  was  called 

Aura,  which  means  Gold. 
And  the  King  called  a  mischievous  fairy: 

"  Why  is  my  daughter  so  strangely  bright  ?  " 
The  fairy,  who  was  jealous  of  Aura's  beauty,  said: 
a  She  is  the  spirit  of  Gold,  and  if  thou  would'st 

kill  her,  all  the  gold  upon  earth  and  under  it 
Would  come  to  thee." 
Now  the  King  loved  gold  much  better  than  Aura, 

But  he  said  to  himself:  "  I'll  not  kill  her, 
But  send  her  to  a  place  where  she  is  sure  to  die." 
So  he  said  to  Aura:  "Dear  daughter, 
Hast  thou  ever  heard  of  the  handsome  Voivode 
Who  is  a  captive  in  the  palace  of  the  Storm  ? 
There  he  has  languished  for  years ;  the  Rain  and 

the  Hail  guard  the  threshold, 
The  Wind  moans  all  around  its  dismal  towers, 
And  the  brave  Prince  is  there. 
In  vain  has  he  tried  with  his  sword  and  his  lance 
To  cut  the  Storm,  the  Hail  and  the  Rain. 
He  cannot  get  away 
Unless  a  beautiful  maid  takes  pity  upon  him  and 

without  fear  enters  the  dangerous  palace." 
Aura  listened,   with   all   her  soul   intent   on   her 

father's  words. 


J2  The  Wicked  King. 

u  Of  course  no  King's  child  and  no  haughty  maiden 

would  vouchsafe  to  deliver  this  Prince. 
Of  course,  my  dear  Aura,  you  never  will  think  of 
going  into  the  palace  of  the  Storm. 
First,  I  would  not  allow  it. 
But  is  not  the  Prince  to  be  pitied ; 
He  is  so  handsome  and  young." 
Aura  felt  her  heart  beat,  and  her  heart  softly  said: 
"  Aura,  thou  lovest  him  already, 
Because  he  is  luckless  and  suffers 
In  the  dismal  palace  of  the  Storm." 
No  sooner  was  Aura  by  herself  in  her  bower  than  she  spoke 
to  her  handmaid: 

"  I  want  to  go  away."  u  Whither,  fair  mistress? 

the  night  is  dark." 
"  I  am  bright  like  a  flame,  and  I  will  illumine 

the  night." 
"  Whither,  fair  mistress  ?  the  road  is  heavy  and 

black." 
"  My  golden  slippers  shine  and  will  show  light 

on  the  road. 
Open  the  gates  of  the  palace  and  whisper  not  a 

word  of  this." 
And  Aura  went  forth  through  the  balmy  air, 
for  it  was  spring,  and  the  flowers  dreamt 
of  sweet  odours  in  their  sleep, 
And  threw  sweet  odours  on  the  air, 
And  wherever  her  feet  alighted  and  touched  the  grass, 


The  Wicked  King,  73 

The  grass  shone  and  remained  bathed  in  sunshine  for 
the  rest  of  that  dark  night, 
And  on  her  way  Aura  noticed  a  thistle  whose  lilac  flowers 
were  fading, 

And  she  said  to  them:  "Poor  flowers,  ye  will 

not  see  the  dawn." 
The  flowers  answered:  "Pitiful  Princess, 
We  know  your  errand  well, 
But  to  enter  that  dismal  palace  is  such  a  terrible 

plan 
That  we  will  do  our  utmost  to  help  thee,  sweet 

Princess. 
Here,  blow  on  us,  and  thou  wilt  become  a  cloud, 

a  rosy  cloud, 
A  golden  cloud  like  the  clouds  that  float 
Above  the  setting  sun." 
Aura  blew  on  the  thistle's  flowers,  and  felt  she  became  a 
cloud. 
She  was  happy  to  float  in  the  balmy  sky, 
And  to  rise  so  swiftly  and  high. 
When  morning  came  she  saw  a  black  form, 
The  form  of  a  dungeon  arise, 
And  the  winds  moaned  around  it,  and  the  golden 

cloud  was  driven  away  like  a  feather. 
But  ever  returned  and  asked: 
u  Is  this  the  palace  of  the  Storm?  " 
u  Golden  Cloud,  get  away,"  said  the  Wind, 
"  This  is  no  place  for  thee. 


74  The  Wicked  King. 

The  Storm  is  a  giant,  and  will  disperse  thee  or  smother 
thy  soft  vapours  in  his  arms." 
"  Moaning  Wind,  hast  thou  heard  of  the  handsome 
Voivode 
Who  is  a  captive  here  ?  " 
"  Yes,  the  Rain  who  spins  by  his  window, 
And  the  Hail  who  beats  at  his  door 
With  a  thousand  silver  hammers. 
The  Rain  and  the  Hail  have  told  me 
He  is  a  most  handsome  Prince. 
And  it  is  even  whispered,  when  winter  gales  are  strong, 
That  the  Rain 's  in  love  with  him, 
And  spins  night  and  day  at  his  window 
In  order  to  see  him  smile." 
"  O  moaning  Wind,  take  me  then  near  his  dear  window, 
too." 

"  The  Rain  and  the  Hail  will  destroy  thee, 
Thou  soft  and  golden  Cloud, 
Yet  I  will  help  thee  thither,"  and  the  moaning  Wind  blew 
hard  till  through  the  Hail  and  the  Rain, 
The  golden  Cloud  reached  the  tower  where  the 

brave  Voivode  dwelt. 
And  the  giant  Storm  shook  the  palace  dark, 
And  the  HaiPs  silver  hammers  were  busy, 
And  the  Rain's  long  spindles  ever  and  anon  hurt 

the  panes  of  his  windows,  yet 
The  Prince  still  looked  valiant  and  strong. 
"  Ah !  "  thought  he,  "  if  only  I  saw  a  little  golden  cloud 


The  Wicked  King.  75 

Amid  the  darksome  mists." 
Just  at  that  moment  the  gentle  Cloud 
Glided  before  his  eyes. 

"  O  gentle  Cloud,"  said  he,  "  how  beautiful  thou  art, 
Methinks  from  thy  golden  depths 
A  maiden  smiles  on  me. 
Methinks  her  arms  are  golden,  and  golden  her  eyes 

and  throat, 
And  golden  the  small  slippers 
With  which  she  treads  the  sky. 

Methinks  her  golden  fingers  beckon  on  me,  methinks 
I  love  thee,  unknown  maid,  whose  face  is  in  that  cloud. 
I  know  love  is  a  cloud  and  vanishes  like  a  cloud  in  the 

arms  of  the  wind. 
I  know  a  cloud  can't  live  more  than  love  in  the  heart 

of  youth, 
More  than  a  destiny  of  joy  whose   sun   must  set  in 

clouds." 
And   he  kissed  the   panes   of  his  window  where   the 

Rain's  silver  spindles  flew. 
And  the  Rain  said  to  her  spindles: 
"  'Tis  well,  for  the  fair  Prince  loves  me. 
He  hath  kissed  my  silver  spindles 
On  the  panes  of  his  windows  bright." 
And  the  Rain  saw  not  the  golden  Cloud, 
For  she  was  so  busy  with  her  spindles 
And  with  the  handsome  young  Prince. 
And  the  Hail  saw  not  the  silver  Cloud, 


y6  The  Wicked  King. 

For  the  Hail  was  busy  with  the  silver  hammers  that 

beat  against  the  Prince's  door. 
But  the  Storm  perceived  the  little  golden  Cloud, 
And  said:  "Ho!   ho!  this  is  foul  play. 
How  has  this  little  golden  cloud  found  its  way  to  my 

realm  ? 
Is  it  a  fairy  who  wants  to  take  my  captive  away  ? " 
And  he  swore  a  dreadful  oath  at  every  fairy  under  the 

face  of  the  sun, 
Because  the  Storm  had  a  beautiful  daughter 

Called  Rainbow;  she  wore  a  dress  made  of  clouds 

and  sunlight, 
Rubies  and  emeralds  twined  around  her  dress, 
And  to  his  daughter  did  the  storm  wish  to  wed  the 
young  Prince. 
But  in  vain  had  Rainbow  more  than  once  danced  before 
his  windows  and  played  with  the  silver  spindles 
of  the  Rain. 
The  Prince  disliked  the  dazzling  girl  as  he  disliked  all 
who  lived  in  the  Storm's  dark  palace, 
Or  around  it. 
And    now   he   looked    at  the   small   golden  Cloud,   and 
stretched  his  arms  towards  the  sky  and  sighed. 
And  the  furious  Storm  was  about  to  smother  the  poor 

little  Cloud  in  his  strong  arms 
When  a  fairy  came  up  and  said  to  Aura: 
"  Now  thou  wilt  become  a  red  and  blue  flame  to  flicker  on 
the  hearth 


The  Wicked  King.  jy 

While  the  Prince  sits  beside  his  fire." 
And  Aura  felt  she  became  a  blue  and  red  flame. 
The  Prince  still  stood  at  his  window  and  sighed,  for 
the  little  golden  Cloud  had  vanished. 
And  by  that  time  the  big  fire  in  his  room  was  lit,  and 

the  Prince  sat  near  the  hearth, 
And  his  eyes  wandered  in  the  fire, 
And  he  noticed  a  red  and  blue  flame  that  flickered 
and  danced  and  turned, 
And  he  said :  "  O  red  and  blue  flame, 
Methinks  I  see  a  maiden  smile  in  thee, 
Methinks  her  arms  and  her  eyes  call  on  me, 
Methinks  she  wears  red  slippers,  and  a  red  veil,  and 

blue  scarf, 
Methinks    I    love    her,    and    methinks    she    loves 
me. 
No  sooner  had  he  spoken  thus  than  the  red  and  blue 
flame  took  a  great  leap  and  fell  at  his  feet, 
And  lo!  a  beauteous  maid  arose. 
And  lo!   he  saw  Aura,  and  she  told  him  that  she  had 
been  the  little  golden  cloud, 
And  that  she  had  pined  after  him  from  the  day  the 
King  her  father  told  her  of  his  sad  fate. 
And  the  Prince  answered,  "  I  love  thee. 
I  never  could  wed  the  Storm's  dazzling  daughter. 
I  love  thee,  and  what  is  thy  name  ? " 

The  maid  answered:    "I  am  called  Aura,  but   thou 
should'st  find  another  name  for  me, 


78  The  Wicked  King, 

Because  I  love  thee,  and  will  not  be  called  as  others 

call  me. 
Pm  a  new  creature  since  I  love,  so  give  me  a  new  name." 
And   the   Prince  wondered  to  see  that  wherever  she 

walked 
The  ground  became  gold,  and  that  a  golden  mist  followed 

her  steps,  and  that  her  arms  were  golden,  and  that 

gold  fell  from  her  long  hair. 
She  lit  up  the  dark  room  like  a  torch,  and  the  Rain  who 

peeped  in 
Saw  the  beautiful  maid,  and  her  jealous  heart  was  awake 

to  the  peril, 
And  she  instantly  ran  to  Rainbow's  room 
And  knocked  at  the  door. 
Now  Rainbow  was  not  pleased  to  be  disturbed  just  then, 
For  young  Hail  had  come  on  a  visit 
With  his  silver  hammers,  and  was  making  love  to  her, 

so  she  said  : 
"  Busy  Rain,  see  I  am  busy  too,  and  cannot  open, 
But  speak  thy  message  through  the  door,  and  I  will 

listen." 
Then  Rain  cried  aloud,  "  Tell  your  father,  my  dear, 
That  a  beautiful  maid   is  in   the  Prince's  room,  and 

kisses  him." 
At  this  Rainbow  laughed,  and  said:  "Busy  Rain,  at- 
tend to  thy  silver  spindles  and  come  not  to  tell 

us  thy  dreams. 
How  can  a  human  maid  enter  this  palace?  " 


The  Wicked  King.  79 

"If  thou  dost  not  believe,  then  come  and  see." 

"  Busy  Rain,  thou  knowest  I  hate  to  leave  my  bower 

after  sunset, 
Go  to  my  father  and  tell  thy  tale." 
And  the  Rain  went  to  the  Storm's  dark  dungeon,  where 

the  giant  lay  enchained. 
He  was  obliged  to  tie  those  chains  around  his  arms  and 

his  waist  himself  every  morning, 
Because  when  he  moved  freely  his  strength  was  such 

that  his  palace  was  smashed  to  pieces 
And  all  those  who  dwelt  therein. 
"  Who  '3  there?  "    "  I'm  the  Rain ;  there  is  a  beauteous 

maid  in  the  young  Prince's  room, 
And  he  kisses  her,  and  her  hair  is  as  long  as  her  train ; 

when  she  walks  her  hair  is  caught  in  her  golden 

slippers." 
"  Another  trick  of  the  fairies,"  roared  the  Storm. 
And  the  giant  arose  and  the  whole  palace  shook,  while 

the  Rain  took  up  her  spindles, 
And  the  Hail  took  up  his  hammers, 
And  the  earth  trembled,  and  the  sky  was  rent  by  light- 
ning and  thunder. 
Aura  trembled  in  the  Prince's  arms. 

"  O  the  giant  Storm  is  coming  apace, 

0  the  giant  Storm  will  kjll  thee, 

1  care  not  for  life,  but  thy  life  is  the  life  of  my  soul, 

and  I  will  die  a  thousand  times  if  thou  diest. 


80  The  Wicked  King. 

And  if  I  am  dead  before  thee  I  will  rise  from  the  dead 
And  die  over  and  over  again  if  thou  diest." 

And  the  Prince  answered:  "  Hush,  my  own  love, 
Love  is  strong,  love  is  a  tower  and  a  sword, 
Love  rises  much  higher  than  the  angry  billows  of  the  sea." 
And  Aura  sobbed  against  his  heart,  and  sobbed  with 
joy  also,  because  she  heard  that  in  his  manly 
breast 
The  heart  throbbed  as  quietly  as  if  sore  danger  was 
not  near. 
And  the  giant  Storm  dashed  the  door  open, 
And  the  giant  flew  at  them  in  his  wrath. 
But  the  Prince  drew  his  sword,  and  the  fairy  entered 

and  said  to  Aura,  u  Now 
I  will  change  you  both  into  light  feathers, 
And  you  will  fly  away." 
And  Aura  felt  she  became  a  white  feather,  and  that 

the  Prince  became  a  proud  black  feather. 
And  before  the  breath  of  the  giant  Storm  they  flew 

through  the  Hail  and  the  Rain, 
And  thus  reached  the  azure  sky  and  the  quiet  forest 
beside  which  stood  the  palace  of  Aura's  father. 
The  palace  windows  were  open,  and  Aura  heard  the 

King  say: 
"  Alas !  alas !   my  daughter 's  dead  in  the  dark  tower  of 

the  Storm. 
I  sent  her  from  me  because  of  the  advice  of  an  envious 
fairy, 


The  Wicked  Kim.  8 1 


£> 


And  because  my  soul  was  thirsty  for  gold. 
And  now  I  am  lonely,  my  sweet  child  is  dead." 
At  that  moment  two  feathers  fell  before  his  throne, 
One  was  white  like  the  pearls  on  his  diadem,  the  other 
glossy  and  black. 
He  lifted  them  up  and  his  tears  fell  on  the  feathers  two, 
and  lo!  Aura  stood  before  him, 
And  her  young  Prince. 
And  this  poor  King,  whose  hard  heart  melted,  said: 
"  I  will  bless  your  lover's  marriage 

And  give  this  young  Prince  my  kingdom  and  my 

gold. 
And  I  will  go  in  his  place  in  the  palace  of  the  Storm, 
And  live  there  in  sadness  till  God  and  the  good  fairies 
forgive  my  wicked  deed." 


82  The  Willows'  Daughter. 


THE  WILLOWS'  DAUGHTER. 

"Dost  thou  remember  the  young  willow  that  grew  by  my  garden 
gate, 
It  is  dead,  because  a  wicked  spirit  came  and  slept  between 

its  branches  at  night. 
O  how  I  love  the  willows  in  my  garden,  and  the  willows 
by  the  banks  of  the  stream. 
I  must  tell  thee  a  tale. 

It  is  the  story  of  the  willows'  daughter, 
And  it  was  told  to  me  by  that  same  young  willow 
Who  'j  dead,  because  of  the  evil  spirit  that  slept  between  its 
branches  at  night. 
The  willow  sighed  and  told  the  tale  while  I  listened, 
And  those  who  passed  by  my  garden  gate  said,  'She  listens 
To  hear  the  young  willow  sigh.''  " 

This  happened  once  which  ne'er  had  happened  before, 

And  will  never  happen  again. 

In  the  small  forest  by  the  stream  a  young  girl  lived; 

Her  sweet  name  was  Smaranda,  and  she  had  no  father 
and  mother  because 

She  was  the  willows'  daughter. 
Her  arms  were  soft  and  supple  like  their  branches, 


The  Willows"  Daughter.  83 

Her  hair  like  their  foliage  was  long; 

She  danced  when  the  wind  touched  the  willows, 

And  she  was  still  when  at  noon  the  silver  trees  slumbered 

and  dreamed. 
Her  feet  were  white  like  the  rays  of  the  sun 

Upon  the  white,  silvery  willows; 
Her  dress  was  made  of  willow  leaves; 

And  willow  leaves  glistened 
Around  her  forehead  and  her  throat. 
She  wore  a  belt  of  willow  leaves, 
And  her  bracelets  were  willow  leaves  when  the  bright 
dew  shone; 
Her  eyes  were  the  colour  of  the  pale  green  willows, 
And  she  never  moved  from  the  banks  of  the  stream. 
Her  fingers  played  with  the  water,  her  face 
Was  mirrored  in  the  water  oft. 
She  knew  not  that  the  world  existed  beyond  the  wood 
where  she  lived, 
But  the  water-lily  by  the  willows'  root  once  spoke  to 

her  and  said : 
"  O  fair  Smaranda,  the  earth  is  e'en  fairer  than  thou. 
I  can  peep  at  the  plain  between  the  slim  trunks  of  the 
willows, 
And  I  see  there  high  churches,  villages,  and  towns  afar 
I  see  gay  Voivodes  pass  with  their  train. 
I  see  sweet  maidens  dance  when  the  summer  air  is  full  of 
moonlight ;   come  and  lie  down  by  me  and  thou 
wilt  see  the  plain." 


84  The  Willows'  Daughter. 

But  fair  Smaranda  answered :  "  I'm  happy  here,  and  I 

don't  care 
For  what  the  plain  can  show  thee. 
I  am  the  willows'  daughter, 
And  by  the  willows  will  I  dwell, 
Nor  stoop  beside  the  water-lily 
And  peep  between  the  trunks." 
But  one  day  a  Voivode  came,  who  was  handsome  and 
weary, 
And  said  to  his  warriors:  "Ye  may  ride  home; 

I  feel  hot  and  weary, 
And  will  lie  down  and  sleep  beneath  the  cool  trees 
By  the  banks  of  the  pure  stream." 
And  he  sank  on  the  grass,  took  off  his  helmet, 
And  soon  fell  asleep. 

While  he  slept  fair  Smaranda 
Crept  gently  by  his  side, 

And  gazed  upon  him  long, 
And  she  said  to  the  willows  around  her : 
"  How  young  and  handsome  is  he ! " 
"Gaze  not  upon  him,  daughter,"  whispered  the  willow 
green, 
"  He  is  a  brave  young  mortal, 
A  handsome  and  proud  Voivode ; 
But  he  is  like  the  roses  and  the  lilies, 
Who  live  but  one  short  spring. 
His  youth  will  be  carried  away  like  the  feather 
That  turns  in  the  wind's  swift  hands. 


The  Willows"  Daughter.  85 

Whereas  thou,  the  willows'  daughter, 

Wilt  remain  ever  young  and  fair, 
Thou  wilt  live  and  smile  as  long  as  the  trees. 
Gaze    not    upon    him,   daughter,   for    he  will    take    thy 
heart." 
But  Smaranda  gazed  on  and  thought:  "  If  he  loved  me  I 

fain  would  die  for  him." 
She  thought :  u  If  he  awoke  and  saw  me, 
Perhaps  he  would  find  me  fair." 
But  the  willows  divined  their  daughter's  thoughts 
And  asked  of  the  wandering  wind 
To  make  Smaranda  invisible. 
And  when  the  Voivode  awoke  he  saw  naught  but  the  pale 
green  willows, 
But  he  heard  a  woman's  voice 
Whisper  :  "  Voivode,  I  love  thee ! 
I  fain  would  die  for  thee." 
As  he  saw  naught  but  the  trees  and  the  stream 
He  sighed  and  turned  away. 
Still  the  words  followed  him: 
"  Voivode,  I  love  thee ! 
I  fain  would  die  for  thee." 
From  that  day  fair  Smaranda  pined  and  wept 

Till  the  grass  beneath  the  willows  was  as  wet  as  on 

a  rainy  day, 
And  she  said  to  the  water-lily: 
"  O  could  I  but  go  to  him ! 
But  the  willows  they  cluster  around  me, 


86  The  Willows'  Daughter. 

I  cannot  move,  I  am  mad,  and  I'll  die  if  I  don't 
hear  from  my  handsome  Voivode." 
"  Wait,  Smaranda,  don't  weep,"  said  the  lily; 

"  I'll  glide  on  the  stream's  cool  breast, 

I'll  glide  till  I  reach  the  palace 

Where  thy  Voivode  dwells  and  sings." 
"  Then  O  take  to  him  this  pale  willow  leaf 

And  throw  it  on  his  breast. 

I  know  the  leaf  will  whisper, 

c  Voivode,  I  love  thee! 

I  fain  would  die  for  thee.' " 
The  water-lily  glided  upon  the  stream's  cool  breast 

Till  she  reached  the  palace  steps  that  descended  to 
the  waters, 

And  on  the  threshold  the  young  Voivode  stood. 
But  a  fair  young  bride 

Was  there  by  his  side,  and  he  drank  her  eyes  and 
her  kisses, 
And  the  water-lily  then  threw 

The  pale  willow  leaf  on  his  breast. 

Then  the  Voivode  again  heard  the  strange  words: 
u  Voivode,  I  love  thee  ! 
I  fain  would  die  for  thee." 

And  he  then  remembered 

The  words  by  the  banks  of  the  stream, 
And  he  said  to  the  bride:  "There's  a  pale  green 
wood  not  far  from  the  palace,  dear. 

Wilt  thou  come  with  me  and  breathe  the  soft  air 


The  Willows"  Daughter,  87 

By  the  pale  green  willows?  " 
"  Willingly,"  answered  the  young  bride. 
And  thus  the  two  entered  the  wood, 

Where  fair  Smaranda  saw  them.    At  first  she 
thought: 
"  This  maid  is  perhaps  his  sister, 
And  I  must  love  her  too." 
But  the  water-lily  said:  "He  loves  her;  she  is  his 
bride." 
Smaranda  threw  her  arms  around  a  tall  willow- 
tree,  and  she  wept  against  its  gray  bark, 
While  the  handsome  Voivode  and  his  bride  laughed 
gaily  and  plucked  wild  flowers 
And  breathed  the  summer  breeze. 
Smaranda  said :  "Alas!   I  cannot  die. 

I  must  live  as  long  as  these  trees,  and  life  is  heavy 

and  black, 
More   than  the    autumn   night  when  the    sweet 
stars  are  away.    Alas  !  I  cannot  die." 
She  had  scarcely  finished  speaking  when  she  saw  a 
woman  with  a  distaff  and  four  spindles 
That  hung  down  to  her  feet. 
And  her  fingers  knew  no  rest,  and  she  threw  the 
spindles  right  and  left, 
And  whatever  the  spindles  touched  in  their  flight 

drooped  and  faded. 
Then  Smaranda   said :    "  O  touch  me  with   thy 
spindle,  busy  woman, 


88  The  Willows"  Daughter. 

So  that  I  droop  and  fade, 
So  that  I  die." 
But  the  busy  woman  answered  and  showed  the  bright 
young  bride: 
"  I've  come  for  her,  Smaranda, 
My  spindle  will  touch  her  hair 
Before  she  crosses  the  meadow, 
Before  she  ties  the  flowers 
That  she 's  plucking  for  her  belt." 
"  The  Voivode  will  scream,  the  Voivode  will  weep." 
"  No  matter,  I've  come  for  her." 
"  O!"  said  Smaranda,  "the  Voivode  will  weep. 
What  could  I  do  for  thee,  O  busy  woman, 

To  prevent  thee  from  touching  the  bride  ? " 
Then  she  said  to  Smaranda:   "Then  cut  a  willow- 
branch, 
And  cut  a  long  swift  spindle, 
And  pierce  thy  heart  with  the  spindle, 
And  thus  thouwilt  become  a  willow-tree,  Smaranda, 
A  willow-tree  for  ever 
Instead  of  a  maiden  fair." 
And  Smaranda  cut  the  willow-branch, 
And  cut  a  long  sharp  spindle, 
But  before  she  pierced  her  heart 
She  kissed  the  handsome  Voivode  on  the  lips 
(She  was  invisible),  and  whispered: 
"Voivode,  O  how  I  have  loved  thee! 
Voivode,  I  die  for  thee." 


The  Willows*  Daughter.  89 

And  Smaranda  became  a  pale  green  willow 

By  the  banks  of  the  stream. 
The  Voivode  and  his  bride  were  married,  and  wher- 
ever they  dwelt  a  pale  green  willow 
Grew  by  the  window  and  said : 

"  Voivode,  O  how  I  have  loved  thee! 
Voivode,  I  die  for  thee." 


90  The  Four  Princesses 


THE    FOUR   PRINCESSES   AND    THEIR 
CRIMSON  SLIPPERS. 

There  was  a  mighty  King  who  had  four  daughters; 

They  dwelt  in  his  palace  and  never  saw  the  light  of  day, 

For  a  wicked  fairy  had  said  on  the  day  of  their 
birth  that  they  would  perish 

If  the  sun  ever  caught  a  glimpse  of  them. 

The  four  damsels  were  sad, 

They  longed  to  see  the  sun, 

But  they  were  so  well  guarded  in  the  palace  of  the 
King 

That  they  were  never  free  except  at  night. 
But  then  when  night  came  how  happy  they  were 

And  how  busy, 

How  they  ran  and  danced  on  the  floor, 

How  they  kept  always  crying  and  saying: 

"  I  wish  we  could  go  in  the  gardens 

And  peep  at  the  moonlight  fair." 

And  one  night  the  Princesses  cried 

Because  all  the  doors  were  bolted, 

And  they  knew  they  could  not  escape. 
A  handsome  Prince  who  lived  in  the  next  kingdom 

Resolved  to  rescue  them. 


and  their  Crimson  Slippers.  9 1 

He  took  a  horse,  a  sword,  and  a  small  lute, 
And  rode  to  the  King's  bright  palace. 
"  I'm  a  knight,  I  can  tame  wild  horses. 
King !  hast  thou  a  wild  horse  to  tame  ? " 
And  the  King  answered  :  "  Young  knight, 
There  's  in  my  stables  a  horse  so  wild 
That  no  one  will  come  near  him, 
And  he  neighs  night  and  day 
And  will  never  be  fed, 
And  though  he  does  not  feed 

He  is  the  strongest  among  my  wildest  steeds." 
The  handsome  Prince  went  to  the  stables  and  to  the 
furious  horse  he  said : 
"  O  who  art  thou  ? 
I  guess  thou  art  some  god  or  king." 
The  horse  said :  "  Do  not  seek  to  know, 
But  feed  me, 

And  I  will  serve  thee  well." 

And    when    the    wild    horse    moved    the    stables 
trembled, 
And  gardens  and  palace  trembled  too. 
"Well  do  I  guess,  wild  horse,  that  thou  canst  eat 
naught  but  fire." 
And  the  horse  answered  :  "  Yes,  thou  hast  guessed 

right. 
Bring  flames  to  me." 
The  handsome  Prince  gave  the  wild  horse 
Great  flames  to  eat. 


92  The  Four  Princesses 


Then  the  horse  said  :  "  I  thank  thee. 

Now  come  on  my  back,  and  I'll  take  thee 

To  the  Princesses'  bower. 

One  of  them  thou  shalt  love. 

She  wears  a  sprig  of  pink  carnations 
In  her  black  hair." 
And  they  passed  through  the  wondrous  gardens, 

Yet  no  one  gazed  as  they  passed, 

And  they  entered  the  palace  hall, 
But  no  one  gazed." 
And  the  handsome  Prince  then  understood  that  the 
horse  had  become  invisible, 

And  had  made  him  invisible  too. 

When  they  entered  the  four  maidens'  bower, 

The  maidens  saw  both  the  horse  and  the  Prince, 
And  began  to  tremble  with  fear. 
But  the  horse  said:  "Don't  tremble,  Princesses. 

We  will  take  you  into  the  garden 

When  the  moonlight  is  fair. 

Put  on  your  crimson  slippers, 

Put  on  your  golden  dresses, 

Put  on  your  silver  veils, 

And  follow  us  in  the  garden." 

And  the  four  maidens  followed, 
And  the  Prince  fell  in  love  with  one  of  the  four  maids  j 
She  wore  a  pink  carnation 

In  her  black  hair. 

Lo !  the  doors  were  not  bolted, 


and  their  Crimson  Slippers.  93 

And  all  the  attendants  slept. 
They  reached  the  moonlit  garden 
And  there  found  three  other  Princes, 
And  'neath  the  moon  till  morning 
They  danced,  till  their  crimson  slippers 
Turned  pale, 
Till  their  crimson  slippers 

Were  torn  and  worn  they  danced. 
At  morning  a  row  in  the  palace : 
"  Why  are  all  the  crimson  slippers 
Quite  torn  and  faded,  why  ? " 
And  the  King  gave  his  daughters  new  slippers, 
And  watched  them  well  all  day, 
But  when  night  came, 
And  the  doors  were  all  bolted, 
Again  the  Prince  was  there. 
At  dawn  again  the  slippers 
Were  torn  and  faded.    Why? 
And  now  all  the  knaves  in  the  stables 

Spoke  of  the  unknown  knight, 

Who  tamed  the  wild  horse  and  had  given  him 

fire  to  eat. 
And  the  King  went  and  gazed  upon  the  scene. 
"I'll  ride  that   horse   to-day,"  said  he,  "since 

thou  hast  tamed  him." 
And  the  King  tried  the  horse, 
But  the  wild  horse  would  not  be  ridden  by  an 
old  king, 


94  The  Four  Princesses 

And  reared  and  kicked  till  the  furious  King  fell 
to  the  ground. 
"  Let  horse  and  knight  be  burnt  to  death," 
Ordered  the  furious  King, 
And  a  great  pile  was  made  of  wood  and  straw, 
Where  horse  and  Prince  at  midnight 
Were  to  be  burnt  to  death. 
Through  the  great  palace  the  news  flew, 
Till  the  Princesses  heard, 

And  they  cried  bitterly,  and  begged  their  father 
To  spare  both  knight  and  horse. 
But  the  old  King  was  furious, 
And  would  not  spare. 
So  they  begged  hard  again 
To  be  allowed  to  gaze 
Upon  the  awful  sight. 
The  court  assembled,  and  the  people  from  all  the  cities 
Which  the  King  ruled. 

And  the  wild  horse  and  the  Prince  were  brought 
forth 
To  share  the  same  sad  fate. 
The  four  Princesses  wept. 
"  We'll  give  our  crimson  slippers 
To  burn  with  them."    "  I  forbid  you 
To  speak  to  that  man,"  said  the  King. 
And  he  said  one  brief  word,  and  the  tall  flames  rose. 

The  flames  were  red  and  blue, 
And  the  knight  and  the  horse  in  the  midst  of  the  flames 


and  their  Crimson  Slippers.  95 

Stood  bright  and  fair. 
Higher  the  flames  now  towered 
And  closed  around  them, 
Till  the  Prince's  belt 
Was  one  blue  flame, 
Till  the  Prince's  cap 
Was  a  shivering  flame, 
Till  the  Prince's  hand 
Was  a  trembling  flame. 
And  they  twirled  and  they  shrivelled, 
They  sank  and  fell. 
When  lo !   with  a  sob  and  a  cry, 

The  fairest  of  the  Princesses 
Threw  in  the  fire  the  pink  carnation 

That  she  wore  in  her  thick  black  hair, 
And  the  lofty  fire  in  a  second 
Died  out  as  if  it  had  never  been. 
The  people  cried  :  "  'Tis  a  miracle! 

The  knight  and  his  horse  are  saved." 
But  the  King  cried:  "All  right!   We'll  spare  them. 
But  since  that  knave  is  so  clever 
At  taming  wild  beasts, 
I'll  not  let  him  go  till  he  tames 
My  favourite  dog." 
The  King's  favourite  dog  was  a  wizard, 

Whom  no  one  cared  to  meet. 
Now  said  the  horse  to  the  Prince : 

"  Take  care  of  that  gentle  dog's  wiles." 


96  The  Four  Princesses 

And  the  dog  leapt  forth  and  said  to  the  Prince : 
"  Canst  thou  cross,  gentle  knight, 
The  shadow  of  my  tail  upon  the  sand." 
The  shadow  of  the  dog's  tail  was  but  a  thread  of 

darkness  upon  the  sand. 
But  when  the  knight  said  "  Yes," 
The  shadow  grew, 
Till  it  became  a  big  river 
All  swollen  with  ice  and  snow. 
And  the  horse  said  to  him:  "Kiss  the  water, 

And  throw  thy  pink  flower  in  the  flood." 
But  the  Prince  said:   "The  flower  that  comes  from  my 
beloved, 

And  saved  my  life, 
I'll  not  give  to  the  trait'rous  waters, 

But  carry  with  me  until  death." 
And  he  leapt  in  the  rapid  river 
With  that  pink  flower  in  his  hand, 
And  the  pink  flower  widened  and  grew, 
Till  it  became  a  gentle  boat, 
Inwhichthe  youngPrincecrossed  the  angryriver. 
And  the  King  then  said:  "'Tis  a  miracle! 

There  must  be  a  god  by  thy  side." 
The  young  Prince  showed  the  horse,  and  answered:  "  He's 
the  god." 

And  the  King  said:   "Let  the  wild  horse  com- 
mand, 
And  I'll  obey." 


and  their  Crimson  Slippers.  97 

"  King,"  answered  the  wild  horse, 

"  I  could  destroy  thy  palace, 
And  burn  down  all  thy  cities  fair, 
If  I  but  neighed  three  times. 
I  will  not  do  it,  because  thou  hast  four  daughters, 
And  I'll  deliver  them. 

There  is  a  spell  at  work  with  them,  I  know, 
But  now  the  sun  would  be  afraid 
To  harm  them. 
So  let  the  damsels  live  their  own  free  life, 

And  give  this  knight,  who  is  a  Prince, 
Thy  fairest  daughter, 
Because  he  loves  her." 
The  King  obeyed,  and  his  three  other  daughters 
Married  the  three  Princes 

With  whom  they  had  danced  in  the  garden  at 

night. 
And  at  their  wedding 
The  maidens  wore  crimson  slippers, 
But  the  wild  horse  was  gone. 


H 


98  The  Little  Blue  Glass  Ring. 


THE  LITTLE  BLUE  GLASS  RING. 

If  thou  stoopest  over  the  fountain 
Thou  wilt  see  the  sand  shine; 
But  from  afar  the  sand  is  black. 
If  thou  touchest  my  belt 

Thou  wilt  feel  my  heart  beat, 
Though  thou  believest  that  my  heart  is  still. 
Because  I  ne'er  lift  up  my  eyes  towards  thee. 

I  am  the  little  blue  glass  Ring; 
I  am  so  small  that  a  maid  only 
Can  wear  me,  and  three  tears 
Would  fill  me  quite. 

I  am  the  little  blue  glass  Ring. 
I  have  betrothed  the  King's  daughter 

To  the  bright  Sun. 
For  Viorica,  the  King's  daughter, 

Would  marry  neither  warrior  nor  Voivode. 
"  I'll  marry  naught  but  the  bright  Sun,"  said  she ; 
"  Tell  the  bright  Sun,  my  father,  to  leave  the  sky  and 
to  alight 
Before  our  palace  gate  ; 
I'm  fair  enough  for  him." 


The  Little  Blue  Glass  Ring.  99 

But    the    Sun    never    answered    the    proud    girl's 

summons, 
And  the  poor  King  grew  sad. 
And  the  King  said  one  morning :   "  Ay,  I  will  give  my 
kingdom 
To  him  who  would  compel  my  daughter 
To  forget  her  wild  wish." 
And  many  a  bright  tourney  and  many  a  bright  dance 
Took  place  at  the  King's  palace. 
Yet  Viorica 

Still  dreamt  of  the  fair  Sun, 
And  sighed  and  wept. 
"  A  messenger  has  come ;  he  bears  a  message 

From  the  fair  Sun  himself." 
"  Let  me  stay  with  this  man  alone,"  said  Viorica. 
And  the  young  man  was  called  Ion, 
He  was  a  shepherd. 
"  How  is  it,  O  young  shepherd, 

That  thou  should'st  know  the  Sun?  " 
"  He  dwells  in  my  hut  all  the  day, 
And  I  talk  to  the  Sun  for  hours, 
And  he  loves  well  my  eyes, 

And  he  loves  thee,  O  King's  fair  daughter. 
This  little  Ring  has  he  sent  thee." 
"  What,  only  a  little  glass  Ring 
For  our  betrothal  ?  " 
u  Yes,"  answered  Ion,  and  the  poor  shepherd's  heart 
Began  to  beat,  for  he  loved  Viorica. 


ioo  The  Little  Blue  Glass  Ring. 

"  I  thank  thee,  shepherd  sweet, 
And  I  will  wear  the  Ring, 
And  wait  for  my  future  spouse." 
And  when  Ion   had  gone,  "O    little    blue    glass 

Ring," 
Whispered  the  maiden, 
"  Speak  to  me  of  the  Sun." 
"  Ah,  dear  Princess !  the  Sun's  great  palace, 
Is  a  big  pile  of  gold  -> 
He  bears  a  silver  sceptre,  and  his  throne 
Is  covered  with  fiery  emeralds." 
"  Like  my  father's,  dear  Ring. 
And  what  do  the  courtiers  who  live  in  the  Sun's 
palace  do  all  day  long  ?  " 
u  Ah,  dear  Princess!  they  wait  for  the  bright  Sun's  return ; 
For  the  mighty  Sun  is  always  away. 
He  only  returns  for  an  hour  or  so, 
The  time  to  change  his  golden  horse  and  his  sword, 
Or  give  his  golden  horse  to  drink. 
The  handsome  shepherd  who  brought  me  hither,  Princess, 
Dwells  in  a  sweet  green  hut, 
Close  by  the  water. 
He  sings,  and  the  waters  weep 
To  hear  him  sing  so  well." 
"And  what  says  the  Sun,"  asked  the  maiden, 
"  When  he  returns  to  his  palace, 
And  gives  his  tall  horse  to  drink  ? " 
"  Ah,  Princess !  he  relates  that  the  earth  is  so  sad. 


The  Little  Blue  Glass  Ring.  101 

Men  die  on  the  earth,  and  women, 
And  little  children  too. 
And  the  harvests  he  loves  are  cut  down  to  the  root, 
And  the  cries  of  the  dying  and  white  heavy  tombstones 

Accompany  him  wherever  he  goes. 
The  handsome  shepherd  who  has  brought  me  hither 
Knows  such  bright  tales, 

And  sees  the  love  of  the  flowers  and  the  birds." 
"  And  what  says  the  strong  Sun  when  he  loves  a  young 

maid?" 
"  Ah,  Princess !  he  says,  c  Let  us  love, 
For  dear  love  can  last  but  one  day. 
I  have  seen  all  love  die  away, 
I  have  seen  ev'ry  kiss  fall  and  fade 
Like  the  leaves  from  an  autumn  tree.' 
The  handsome  shepherd  who  has  brought  me  hither, 
When  he  loves  a  maiden  young, 
Says  to  her,  c  O  my  love,  love  lasts 
As  long  as  death.' " 
"  Dear  little  blue  glass  Ring,  call  the  fair  shepherd  back, 
For  I  will  in  my  turn  send  a  message 
To  my  betrothed,  the  Sun." 
And  I,  the  little  blue  glass  Ring, 
I  called  the  shepherd. 
And  Viorica  said  to  him:  "Go,  tell  the  Sun, 

Viorica's  afraid  of  your  huge  golden  palace  and  of 
your  eyes 
That  have  seen  every  tombstone, 


102  The  Little  Blue  Glass  Ring. 

And  have  seen  ev'ry  love  come  and  fall; 
Viorica  's  afraid  of  your  hands  that  have  touched 
The  lips  of  all  the  dead. 
Viorica  will  marry  the  shepherd 

Who  dwells  in  the  sweet  green  hut 
Close  to  the  water." 
"But,  my  beloved,"  said  Ion,  "what  shall  we  do 

With  the  little  blue  Ring?" 
"  We  will  drive  a  gold  nail  in  the  wall  of  our  room, 

And  we  will  hang  the  small  blue  Ring  on  the  gold 
nail, 
And  the  little  blue  Ring  will  see  our  love." 
Thus  I  dwell  on  the  wall  of  their  chamber, 
And  by  my  side 
A  little  branch  of  basil 
Makes  the  air  soft, 
And  I  say  to  the  basil  sweet,  "  Look  at  their  love  ! " 


The  Fairy  and  the  Waterfall.  103 


THE  FAIRY  AND  THE  WATERFALL. 

/  have  heard  this  tale  from  an  eagle  who  lives  in  the 
clouds  and  sleeps  on  the  mountains  hard  breast,  and  the  eagle 
told  me  he  heard  this  tale  from  the  cloud  and  the  rainbow 
that  dances  on  the  waterfall. 

The  dark  Karpathian  mountains  were  sad  because  in  the 
solitude  of  their  forests  among  the  giant  trees  no  torrent 
flew,  no  waterfall  made  the  day  joyous  and  the  night  short 
with  the  sound  of  life  and  laughter.  "  These  mountains 
have  no  waterfall  and  no  torrent,  they  are  sad,"  said  the 
bright  hero  of  the  mountains,  the  handsome  Stoi'ca,  to  the 
fairy  of  the  meadows,  whom  he  often  met,  and  to  whom 
the  handsome  hero  was  betrothed.  "  If  thou  wert  a  real 
fairy  instead  of  being  almost  alike  unto  all  the  pretty 
maidens  of  the  earth,  thou  would'st  find  the  meanstoenliven 
the  forest."  "  Alas!  "  answered  the  fairy,  "  I  have  prayed 
hard  all  the  rivers  to  run  on  this  side,  but  thy  forests  are 
dark."  "I  tell  thee  thou  art  no  fairy."  At  this  the  poor  fairy 
grew  faint  with  grief  and  shame,  and  said:  "  I  will  not  look 
upon  thee,  nor  enjoy  the  fair  smile  of  the  sun,  nor  call 
myself  a  fairy  before  I  have  brought  thee  a  splendid  wild 


1 04         'The  Fairy  and  the  Waterfall. 

torrent  and  a  savage  waterfall  right  in  the  heart  of  thy 
forests." 

The  fairy  rode  her  favourite  steed  and  reached  the 
palace  of  the  King.  It  was  a  clear  moonlight  night,  and 
she  thought  she  might  rest  under  a  rose-tree,  for  she  was 
a  small  fairy,  and  besides  could  get  tall  or  tiny  at  her  will. 
She  soon  went  to  sleep,  and  her  favourite  steed  slept  by 
her  side  in  the  grass,  for  she  had  changed  him  into  a 
drowsy  butterfly;  but  soon  she  awoke  to  hear  a  conversa- 
tion above  her  head,  on  the  terrace  of  the  royal  palace. 
She  heard  a  woman's  soft  voice:  "  O  my  hair  is  as  long  as 
the  river  under  the  elms,  and  as  heavy  as  the  waterfall  that 
bounds  from  rock  to  rock  in  the  mountains.  I  will  give 
thee  my  hair,  great  wizard,  and  my  teeth ;  look  how  my 
teeth  shine  and  glisten  in  the  light  of  the  splendid  moon. 
But  promise  to  bring  my  father  back."  Then  a  terrible 
voice  answered:  "  Give  me  also  thy  long  eyebrows."  Then 
the  fairy  heard  a  low  sob,  and  the  soft  voice  said  again: 
"  Take  them,  but  bring  my  father  back."  And  the  fairy, 
who  could  get  wings  and  fly,  flew  to  the  terrace  and  saw 
a  beautiful  maid,  who  knelt  before  a  hideous  wizard,  and 
the  fairy  whispered  in  the  maiden's  ear:  "Refuse,  refuse, and 
I  will  help  thee.  I  am  the  fairy  of  the  meadow.  I  can  help." 
Then  the  beautiful  maid  sprang  to  her  feet  and  exclaimed: 
"  False  monster,  I  will  save  my  father  and  keep  my  long 
hair,  my  long  eyebrows,  and  my  shining  teeth."  The 
wizard  stamped  his  foot  and  said:  "  I  will  put  heavy  chains 
on  thy  father's  back  as  soon  as  I  get  home,  and  he  will  rue 


The  Fairy  and  the  Waterfall.  105 

the  hour  of  his  daughter's  sad  indifference  to  his  sufferings. 
Farewell,  maid,  I  will  torture  thy  father;  this  I  promise  " — 
and  he  disappeared. 

Then  the  fairy  stepped  to  the  girl's  side  and  asked  her : 
"  What  is  the  matter  with  thee?  And  where  is  thy  father? 
And  who  has  put  him  into  the  power  of  that  false  monster?" 
The  young  girl,  who  was  a  princess  and  the  King's  own 
daughter,  answered :  "  Alas !  beautiful  fairy,  whose  feet 
make  the  meadow  green  and  the  forest  alive,  my  father  had 
entered  into  an  agreement  with  this  wizard.  My  father 
desired  to  possess  a  marvellous  sword,  a  fairy  sword,  which 
flew  from  its  scabbard  whenever  something  unjust  or  some 
misfortune  happened  a  thousand  miles  even  from  the  spot 
where  the  sword  was  to  be  found.  Thou  may'st  well 
understand,  beautiful  fairy,  what  a  precious  sword  it  might 
prove  to  a  king,  for  kings  are  always  swayed  by  what  they 
hear  and  see,  and  the  senses  of  a  king  do  not  reach  much 
farther  than  those  of  any  ordinary  man.  Now  this  precious 
sword  belonged  to  the  wizard,  and  the  King  offered  him 
the  half  of  his  kingdom  and  of  all  he  possessed  for  the 
privilege  of  owning  the  marvellous  sword.  But  the  wizard 
answered:  '  I  will  have  neither  land  nor  money.  I  will  give 
thee  the  sword,  but  promise  me  not  to  allow  thy  daughter 
to  touch  it,  or  to  speak  a  word  about  it  to  anyone.  If  she 
breaks  this  promise,  I  will  carry  thee  away  to  a  dark  dun- 
geon, and  thou  wilt  be  a  captive  for  the  rest  of  thy  life.' 
Of  course  the  King  thought  he  could  easily  promise  this, 
and  I  urged  him  to  do  so,  and  the  wizard  brought  the  bright 


1 06         "The  Fairy  and  the  Waterfall. 

sword,  at  which  I  never  even  gazed,  and  I  kept  away 
whenever  my  father  wore  it,  and  many  years  passed  and 
the  sword  did  as  much  good  in  this  land  as  if  it  had  been 
a  good  knight. 

"  Alas !  alas !  these  happy  years  were  followed  by  such 
bitter  hours  that  I  can  scarcely  bear  to  mention  them. 
One  day  I  stood  on  my  balcony,  where  a  sweet  fountain 
plays  with  the  plumes  of  a  thousand  birds.  The  King  had 
just  left  me,  when  I  noticed  he  had  forgotten  his  sword, 
just  by  my  side.  With  a  cry  I  rose  and  drew  my  chest 
away  from  the  glistening  scabbard.  I  could  not  call  on 
some  one  to  take  the  sword  away,  as  I  was  bound  by  the 
solemn  promise  never  to  mention  its  name;  so  I  thought  to 
retire,  when  a  voice  so  pitiful  and  low  I  first  took  it  for 
the  beating  of  a  broken  heart,  said:  c  Pity,  beautiful  maid! 
pity  for  the  fate  of  a  valiant  knight  who  is  a  prisoner  in  the 
shape  of  the  marvellous  sword.  O  save  me!  Would'st 
thou  but  touch  the  sword  or  let  thy  dress  touch  it,  I  would 
be  saved  from  torture  and  resume  my  human  form  again.' 
I  answered  terror-stricken :  '  O  wretched,  valiant  knight, 
ask  me  to  give  thee  my  jewels  all  and  my  life,  and 
even  more  precious  than  my  life,  a  kiss  on  the  lips 
of  an  unknown,  or  even  on  the  lips  of  a  wild  monster, 
and  I  will  do  all  to  help  and  save.  But  my  father 
would  be  the  wizard's  prisoner  if  I  touched  the  mar- 
vellous sword.'  f.  Then,  beautiful  maid,  breathe  on  the 
gold  and  the  steel;  surely  thy  breath  may  come  near, 
if  not  thy  hands  and  thy  dress.    Surely  a  sigh  from  thee 


The  Fairy  and  the  Waterfall.  107 

could  not  injure  thy  father,  the  King.'  And  I  just  came  a 
little  nearer  and  gave  a  long  sigh  and  stretched  my  arms 
out  in  pity  towards  the  unknown,  who  was  the  prisoner 
of  the  wizard.  Then  the  sword  was  shattered  to  pieces, 
and  for  a  second  or  two  I  saw  a  handsome  young  knight 
wave  his  hand  and  smile.  Afterwards  a  deadly  silence 
ensued;  then  my  ladies  and  maidens  all  rushed  to  the 
balcony.  They  wrung  their  hands  in  despair.  c  The  King, 
our  King,  thy  father  and  our  lord  is  carried  away  in  fetters 
by  a  legion  of  black  demons.'  Since  that  day  his  fate  is 
one  of  darkness  and  terror.  I  have  this  night  called  the 
wizard  to  the  palace.  Thou  knowest  all,  sweet  fairy. 
Now  try  to  save  us,  save  my  father.  I  am  the  guilty  one, 
so  thou  may'st  play  havoc  with  me."  "  Such  is  not  my  in- 
tention, Princess,"  said  the  fairy.  "  We  will  both  repair  to 
the  place  where  thy  father's  dungeon  stands."  The  fairy 
mounted  on  her  magic  steed  and  took  the  Princess  by  her 
side ;  then  as  they  rode  through  dale  and  forest  the  fairy 
noticed  that  when  the  Princess  lost  a  thread  of  her  long 
trailing  hair,  the  thread  immediately  became  a  rivulet  or 
a  long  garland  of  dew  upon  the  branches.  The  fairy  said 
naught,  but  thought:  cc  I  now  understand  why  the  wizard 
desired  to  possess  her  hair."  They  at  last  reached  the  place 
where  the  old  King  spent  his  time  in  dire  captivity.  The 
fairy  sang  thrice  in  her  silver  horn,  and  the  wizard  came 
up  hastily  and  saluted  her  with  courteous  humility,  for  she 
was  a  powerful  fairy. 

"What  shall  I  give  thee,  sweet  fairy?  Gold,  diamonds, 


108  The  Fairy  and  the  Waterfall. 

rich  coins  from  my  cellar,  or  from  my  stables  swift  steeds? " 
"  Give  me  a  spare  room  and  a  couch,  gracious  wizard.  I  am 
tired  to  death,  and  would  sleep  undisturbed.  And,  above 
all,  give  me  a  glass  of  cool  water,  for  I  am  thirsty  like  my 
meadows  in  June."  Now  all  the  wells  and  the  rivers  around 
the  wizard's  palace  were  dry,  but  this  he  cared  not  to  own, 
and  he  was  in  sore  perplexity;  and  the  fairy  repeatedly 
said:  "What,  not  a  little  cold  water  in  this  place?  "  He 
went  to  the  dark  dungeon  where  the  old  King  dwelt,  and 
said:  "  Great  King,  I  am  going  to  marry  thy  daughter  and 
take  her  away  to  a  distant  land.  Thou  wilt  never  see  her 
more."  At  this  the  wretched  King  wept  and  his  tears  fell 
thick  in  the  darkness,  and  in  the  darkness  the  wizard  filled 
a  glass  with  the  old  King's  tears.  He  took  the  glass  to  the 
fairy,  who  drank  not  a  drop  and  said:  "  'Tis  salt  water, 
wizard;  I  cannot  drink,  but  I  will  take  it  to  my  bower 
and  cool  my  face  with  the  strange  liquor,"  and  she  bore  her 
glass  away,  for  she  knew  she  held  the  old  King's  own  tears, 
and  she  said:  "  We  shall  see  what  a  splendid  thing  we  can 
make  with  a  mortal's  tears."  And  she  blew  three  times  on 
the  glass,  and  a  beautiful  maid  sprang  out  of  the  old  King's 
tears.  She  was  so  beautiful  that  the  fairy  herself  wondered 
and  said  in  her  heart:  "'Tis  well  that  my  mountain  hero 
gazeth  not  on  this  marvellous  girl."  And  she  said  to  the 
girl:  "I  command  thee  to  win  the  wizard's  heart  and  to 
love  him." 

The  wizard  came  next  morning  and  inquired  how  the 
fairy  had  spent  the  night.  "Most  sweetly,  courteous  wizard, 


The  Fairy  and  the  Waterfall         109 

and  my  sister  Marina,  who  plays  the  lute  well,  sang  songs 
of  love  over  my  sleep.  O,  thou  hast  not  seen  Marina  ; 
she  came  over  to  me  this  night.  Like  all  fairies  she  came 
in  unseen.  Marina!  here  is  a  young  lord  who  desires  to 
gaze  on  thy  face."  Marina  drew  back  the  purple  curtains 
that  hid  her  from  view,  and  she  did  not  perceive  how 
monstrous  and  bad  looked  the  wizard,  but  loved  him  on 
the  spot,  while  the  wizard  stood  transfixed  and  bewildered 
and  screamed  and  wept  in  his  joy:  "O  let  this  beautiful 
maid  be  mine  for  ever.  Marina,  be  my  wife. "  But  Marina 
answered:  "I  am  my  sister's  slave;  my  fate  belongs  to 
my  sister." 

The  fairy  gently  shook  her  head  and  said :  "  Wizard, 
I'm  very  sorry,  wizard,  I  must  say  no.  A  dreadful  death 
awaits  Marina  if  she  marries  a  man  who  does  not  bring 
to  the  wedding  a  free  King  and  a  free  King's  daughter 
with  her  bridegroom."  "  I  will  roam,  I  will  search," 
said  the  wizard  in  despair.  "Give  me  time,  sweet  fairy; 
deny  not  Marina  to  me."  "  O  wizard,  I'm  very  sorry;  O 
wizard,  I  must  say  no.  Marina  must  be  wedded  the  very 
same  hour  she  sees  the  man  she  has  to  wed."  Then  the 
wizard  tore  his  hair  and  his  garments,  then  the  wizard 
knocked  his  head  with  his  golden  rings.  All  at  once  he 
exclaimed  :  "  Wait,  sweet  fairy,"  and  ran  to  the  dungeon 
and  brought  the  old  King.  Then  he  said:  "O  King,  where 's 
thy  daughter?  I  will  send  for  thy  daughter  fair."  But  the 
Princess,  who  was  beneath  the  window,  had  heard  her 
father's  voice,  and  she  came  in.   Then  the  wizard  said:  "A 


1 1  o         The  Fairy  and  the  Waterfall. 

bridegroom  is  wanted,"  and  he  brought  in  a  handsome 
young  knight.  The  Princess  blushed,  for  she  recognized 
the  knight  who  dwelt  in  the  marvellous  sword.  And  the 
two  pairs  were  wedded  in  presence  of  the  fairy.  And  as 
the  radiant  Princess  fell  at  the  fairy's  feet  and  said:  "  How 
can  I  show  my  gratitude  unto  thee?"  The  fairy  said: 
"Give  me  thy  hair;  it  will  soon  grow  again."  And  the 
Princess  cut  her  long  hair.  The-  fairy  returned  to  the 
mountains  and  threw  the  Princess's  long  hair  on  the  brim 
of  a  rock,  and  a  noisy  waterfall  rushed  forth  like  a  silver 
plume,  and  the  hero  of  the  mountain  kissed  his  little  bride's 
lips  and  said:  "  Thou  art  indeed  a  fairy."  "  No,  a  woman," 
murmured  she,  for  she  thought  of  the  happy  Princess  and 
the  old  King — and  the  good  actions  she  had  done. 


Dragomira.  1 1 1 


DRAGOMIRA. 

Dragomira  was  the  sweetest  and  fairest  girl  in  the 
village;  she  loved  God,  the  sunlight,  and  the  birds;  she 
tended  all  the  living  and  frail  creatures  that  came  across 
her,  and  her  heart  was  as  clear  and  bright  as  the  crystal 
beads  of  her  necklace  and  the  new-born  flowers  she  wore 
every  morning  in  her  hair.  Yet  Dragomira  died  one 
evening  when  there  was  neither  sun  nor  moon  to  mourn 
over  her  in  the  sky,  when  all  the  little  birds  were  asleep. 
When  the  sun  returned  next  morning  and  asked:  "  Where 
is  Dragomira?"  the  wretched  mother  answered:  "In  her 
fresh  young  tomb!"  And  the  maidens  threw  lilies  and  sun- 
flowers on  her  fresh  young  tomb  and  said:  "  Alas !  Drago- 
mira, where  art  thou?  why  hast  thou  gone  from  us?  what 
harm  have  we  done  thee  that  thou  should'st  thus  be  silent 
when  we  weep,  nor  care  for  our  smiles  and  our  flowers  ?  " 
Dragomira  had  been  dead  ten  days,  and  she  slept  as 
soundly  in  her  fresh  young  tomb  as  in  her  gentle  bed  near 
the  hearth.  She  dreamt  of  maidens  with  lilies  and  sun- 
flowers in  their  hands,  and  with  tears  down  their  rosy 
cheeks,  and  she  wondered  in  the  eternal  sleep  and  said : 
"  I  wonder  why  they  weep  when  they  are  so  happy,  with 
lilies  and  sunflowers  in  their  hands."    But  at  the  end  of 


1 1 2  Dragomira. 

these  ten  days  Dragomira  awoke  to  hear  a  little  bird 
twitter  beside  her  head.  She  asked:  "  Little  bird,  is  it  time 
to  awake?"  The  little  bird  answered:  "Dragomira,  thou  art 
dead ;  thou  wilt  awake  no  more  to  see  the  brightness  of 
the  sun  on  the  water  and  on  the  leaves."  "But  the  sun  is 
not  dead  also,"  said  the  girl,  "  and  others  are  happy  and  see 
it."  "Yes,"  answered  the  bird.  Then  said  Dragomira:  "  I 
will  not  weep  because  I  hear  I  am  dead."  "Is  there  nothing 
upon  the  bright  earth  thou  would'st  have  the  desire  to 
gaze  upon  again?"  "Yes,"  said  Dragomira,  "yes,  but 
once  again,  sweet  bird,  I  would  like  to  see  my  mother  with 
her  spindle  on  the  threshold,  when  the  fire  rises  high  in  the 
garden  beneath  the  trees  where  we  sat  down  to  our  meals. 
I  would  like  to  see  my  sisters  of  the  village  dance  in  the 
fierce  midday  sun,  and  to  hear  the  flute  of  the  shepherd 
who  urges  them  to  dance  fast  and  well.  I  would  like  to 
see  my  dear  love  by  the  well,  where  I  met  him  first  and 
last,  and  speak  of  my  love  to  him,  for  when  I  dwelt  on 
the  earth  I  was  a  timid  maiden  and  ashamed  to  speak  of 
my  love."  Then  said  the  twittering  bird:  "Take  these 
basil  leaves,  Dragomira,  and  put  them  in  thy  hair."  "  My 
hands  are  cold,  my  fingers  are  numb,  dear  bird;  what  shall 
I  do?  "  The  bird  stooped  and  let  the  sweet-scented  leaves 
fall  in  the  dead  girl's  hair,  and  when  the  dead  girl  felt  the 
weight  of  the  sweet-scented  leaves  she  rose  and  pushed 
the  coffin  from  her  limbs,  she  rose  and  pushed  the  earth 
away,  she  rose  and  pushed  the  stones  away,  and  walked  as 
in  a  dream.    She  said:  "I'm  as  light  as  the  white-footed 


Dragomira.  113 

river  and  as  the  chains  that  fall  from  the  moon ;  I'm  as 
light  as  my  own  breath  when  I  breathed  the  air  on  hill 
and  in  forest;  I'm  as  light  as  the  smoke  on  our  cottage 
roof  in  the  winter."  And  before  she  could  say  twenty 
words  in  her  thoughts  she  had  reached  her  mother's  door. 
The  dear  mother,  as  straight  as  a  poplar  gray,  stood  on  the 
threshold  with  spindle  in  her  hand,  her  long  veil  on  her 
hair,  and  despair  in  her  eyes.  And  the  mother  spoke  to 
the  spindle,  while  in  the  garden  beneath  the  trees  the 
fire  rose,  and  the  evening  meal  was  there  to  be  kept 
warm. 

And  the  mother  said  :  "  Where  is  Dragomira  ?  My  six 
daughters  are  naught  to  me  since  the  seventh  lies  dead  in 
her  fresh  young  tomb.  She  has  gone  without  tasting  the 
bliss  of  life  nor  its  pain.  What  flowers  can  I  take  to  her 
tomb  that  will  not  be  bruised  by  my  tears  ?  What  words 
can  I  speak  to  the  living  when  the  dead  will  not  re-appear  ? 
If  her  sweet  shadow  now  stood  on  my  threshold  I  would 
say,  c  Sweet  shadow,  take  me  afar  with  thee.' "  And  Dra- 
gomira thought :  "  I  must  hide  myself  lest  mother  tries 
to  follow,  and  if  she  sees  my  tomb  open,  she  will  go 
down  in  the  earth  and  discover  how  dull  and  cold  is  my 
young  tomb.  No,  mother  must  not  die,  because  then  if 
death  lies  heavy  on  her,  she  would  break  her  heart  to 
know  I  too  am  dead.  Now  here,  when  the  sun  shines, 
she  may  imagine  I  see  the  sun,  and  when  she  speaks  to  me 
that  I  hear."  And  Dragomira  gently  kissed  her  mother's 
spindle,  and  kissed  the  moss  on  the  threshold,  and  kissed 

1 


1 1 4  Dragomira. 

the  smoke  as  it  rose  from  the  fire,  and  glided  into  the 
night  away. 

When  Dragomira's  father  came  home  to  his  cottage 
and  sat  to  his  evening  meal,  he  saw  the  spindle  and  the 
moss  on  the  threshold,  and  the  smoke  over  the  fire,  shine 
like  water  under  the  moon,  and  he  said:  "  Wife,  the  spirit 
of  the  dead  hath  been  here  and  kissed  the  moss,  the  spindle, 
and  the  smoke."  And  the  mother  answered  :  "  Surely 
Dragomira  hath  come  unto  me  while  my  spindle  ran,  and 
while  I  spoke  to  my  child  who  is  in  her  fresh  young  grave." 
Then  they  prayed  and  made  three  times  the  sign  of  the 
cross,  and  sat  down  to  their  evening  meal  under  the  trees. 

The  villagers  danced  gaily  in  the  clear  moonlight,  and 
sweet  was  the  sound  of  the  shepherd's  flute  as  it  urged 
them  to  dance  and  rejoice,  and  many  were  the  hearts  that 
bounded  under  the  embroidered  belts.  All  at  once  a 
maiden  said :  "  I  feel  a  cold  hand  on  my  hand,  I  feel  a  cold 
breath  on  my  hair.  Has  the  moon  come  to  dance  with  me 
or  the  gentle  spirit  of  a  dead  maiden  ?  for  I  have  heard  the 
gentle  spirits  of  dead  maidens  sometimes  come  among  us 
and  love  the  sound  of  the  shepherd's  sweet  flute."  The 
maiden  who  spoke  thus  was  called  Anca,  and  though  Dra- 
gomira could  not  answer  she  eagerly  drank  in  the  words, 
and  her  invisible  shadow  turned  and  leapt  in  the  wild 
dance  full  of  mingled  buoyancy  and  languor.  And  she 
listened  to  the  glad  voices,  and  when  the  dance  was 
finished  they  gathered  under  the  trees  to  talk  and  drink, 
and  to  see  the  moon  between  the  leaves.    The  talk  fell  on 


Dragomira.  1 1 5 

a  wedding  which  was  to  take  place  in  three  weeks.  Anca 
said  :  "  My  wedding-dress  is  ready.  But  as  I  marry  a  man 
who  loved  the  maid  that  now  lies  in  her  grave,  I  will 
leave  my  belt  open,  so  that  the  dead  maid  may  gaze  into 
my  heart  and  thus  read  how  I  pity  her,  though  I  take  her 
beloved."  Dragomira's  sweet  shadow  now  trembled.  She 
longed  and  feared  to  know  the  bridegroom's  name.  Then 
Anca  said :  "  He  is  handsome  and  brave,  and  when  he 
sings  all  the  villages  on  the  hills  ask  :  '  Who  is  it  that  sings 
so  well  in  that  distant  village  in  the  plain  ? ' "  And  then 
Dragomira  knew  her  beloved  was  to  wed  the  fair  maiden 
whose  hand  she  had  touched. 

And  she  bitterly  felt  how  hard  it  was  that  the  dead 
cannot  weep,  and  all  the  softness  of  the  moon  went  out  of 
her  soul,  and  she  returned  to  her  grave. 

The  next  day  the  young  man  Dragomira  loved  was  by 
the  side  of  the  well.  He  had  just  drawn  a  pail  of  water, 
and  he  said  to  the  water,  "  Why  tremblest  thou,  or  has 
the  gentle  shadow  of  a  dead  maiden  touched  thee  ?  "  The 
water  answered:  "Yes,  her  gentle  shadow's  here;  thou 
canst  speak,  she  will  hear,  but  what  she  says  will  not 
reach  thine  ears."  Then  the  young  man  said :  "  O  Dra- 
gomira, I  have  not  forgotten  thee,  and  I  would  fain  re- 
main without  a  wife  to  the  end  of  my  days.  But  thou 
know'st  well  we  are  poor.  My  mother  is  old  and  weary. 
The  spindle  falls  from  her  hand,  and  she  falls  when  she 
wishes  to  cross  the  threshold.  Anca  I  do  not  love,  but  the 
girl  knows  how  to  spin  and  to  tend  house  and  field.    Had 


1 1 6  Dragomira, 

I  but  ten  golden  ducats  I  would  not  wed."  Dragomira 
kissed  her  beloved's  brow  and  his  lips,  and  went  back  to  her 
grave.  Alas !  she  could  not  sleep  in  her  grave.  She  thought 
of  him  and  of  those  ten  ducats,  and  of  how  sweet  it  might 
have  been  to  feel  sure  he  would  never  wed.  O,  were  she 
only  a  living  maid,  how  she  would  gain  those  ten  ducats 
for  him !  "  But  here,  in  my  grave,"  said  she,  "  what  can  I 
do?  My  hands  are  numb,  my  fingers  lazy.  Alas!  what 
can  I  do?"  She  thought  and  thought  till  she  rose  again, 
and  groping  through  the  darkness  she  reached  another 
grave.  There  a  rich  woman  lay  with  ten  golden  ducats 
round  her  neck,  and  she  had  left  three  children  to  her 
husband.  And  Dragomira  asked  the  rich  woman:  "  Is  the 
money  aught  to  thee?"  "Yes,"  answered  she,  "even  in 
my  grave  is  the  gold  dear  to  my  fingers,  but  I  have  left 
three  children  and  my  husband,  and  O !  could  I  know 
whether  they  remember  me."  Dragomira  said  :  "  I  have 
the  power  to  return  upon  earth,  I  will  go  and  look  at  thy 
children  and  hear  thy  husband  talk,  but  I  want  the  ten 
ducats  from  thy  neck,"  and  the  woman  promised.  Dra- 
gomira went  to  her  house  and  brought  messages  of  love  to 
the  poor  mother,  and  she  got  the  ten  golden  pieces.  Then 
she  again  sought  her  beloved \  he  was  asleep  when  she 
found  him,  and  put  the  ducats  in  his  dear  hand,  and  said : 
"  Now  thou  wilt  not  take  another  girl  to  thy  heart."  He 
awoke  to  find  the  treasure,  and  ran  and  told  Anca,  and 
said :  "  We  will  be  wealthy,  my  love,  and  buy  a  pair  of 
oxen  and  a  cart."  And  on  the  wedding  day  Anca  wore  the 


Dragomira.  1 1 7 

ducats  round  her  neck,  but  Dragomira  had  sunk  again  to 
everlasting  sleep,  and  she  knew  not  the  treachery  of  her 
beloved.  But  the  dead  woman's  husband  recognized  the 
coins,  and  he  said:  "  The  young  man  has  stolen  the  coins 
out  of  my  wife's  grave";  and  the  woman  was  unburied 
and  the  coins  were  found  missing;  so  the  young  man  was 
taken  to  prison,  and  when  he  was  released  Anca  had  gone 
mad  with  grief  and  shame.  Then  he  went  to  Dragomira's 
grave,  and  said  :  "  Dragomira,  I  knew  the  coins  came  from 
thee,  and  I  deceived  thee;  pardon  me,  Dragomira."  But 
Dragomira  could  not  hear  as  she  slept  her  everlasting 
sleep. 

This  tale  was  told  by  two  maids  as  they  mowed  the  grass 
in  the  garden,  and  they  had  known  Anca  and  Dragomira, 
and  they  wept  as  they  spoke. 


1 1 8  The  Toung  Prince. 


THE  YOUNG  PRINCE  WHO,  BORN  OF  A 

ROSE-TREE,  BECAME  A  ROSE-TREE 

HIMSELF. 

"  Give  me  some  wool,  or  give  me  flax,  dear  spinner, 

For  my  distaff  is  bare. 
T 11  give  thee,  too,  a  sweet  rose  for  thy  hair" 
"Hark,  sister!  the  sweet  rose  whispers 

And  tells  a  tale. 

""Tls  the  tale  of  the  Prince 

Who,  born  of  a  rose-tree,  became  a  rose-tree  himself 

Then  listen  while  I  fill  thy  distaff. 
Listen  to  the  strange  tale." 

There  was  a  rose-bush  in  a  forest,  or  rather  a  rose-tree, 
For  it  was  high  and  straight  like  any  tree, 
And  threw  a  high  shadow  on  the  grass. 
And  the  forest  admired  the  rose-tree;  the  Spring  admired 
it  also, 

And  Spring  and  Autumn  adorned  it  with  fresh 
flowers. 
And  the  birds  all  said:   "What  a  high  rose-tree!" 
And  the  nightingale  sang  her  best  songs 
In  honour  of  its  flowers. 


The  Toung  Prince.  1 1 9 

The  stream  sang  better  as  it  flew 

In  the  neighbourhood  of  the  high  rose-tree. 
And  the  rose-tree  was  happy. 
But  one  day  the  forest  filled  with  human  laughter  and 
mirth ; 
A  gay  band  of  warriors  passed  by, 
And  one  of  the  gayest  among  them  was  a  young 
Prince. 
He  stopped,  and  looked  around  and  said:  "  This 
forest 
Is  dark  and  wild." 
"  What !  am  I  really  dark  and  wild?"  murmured  the  forest ; 
And  for  the  first  time  since  that  forest  was  born, 
The  forest's  heart  grew  sad. 
And  the  Prince  said:  "The  birds  sing  too  wildly." 
"Do  we  sing  wildly?  "  thought  the  birds, 

And  for  the  first  time  since  they  were  birds, 
The  birds  felt  sad. 
"  There  's  nothing  here  for  us,  my  warriors, 
Nothing  that's  bright  and  fair;  " 
And  the  Prince  turned  away. 
But  just  as  he  spurred  his  tall  horse, 
He  noticed  the  fair  rose-tree. 
The  rose-tree  bore  beautiful  roses. 
"O  look  at  the  flowers,  my  warriors!    pluck  them  all, 
they  are  lovely  and  red, 
And  this  is  the  most  beautiful  rose-tree  I  have 
ever  seen  upon  earth. 


1 20  The  Young  Prince. 

Sure  a  fairy  has  planted  it  here,  a  fairy  must  live 

at  its  roots, 
And  a  fairy  watch  every  flower  till  it  grows  so 

like  a  young  queen. " 
The  Prince  rode  away  with  the  roses, 
But  his  words  remained  with  the  rose-tree, 
Who  never  could  feel  calm  or  happy 
Since  the  words  of  the  handsome  Prince. 
In  vain  the  forest  murmured:  "  He  is  gone,  and  never  will 
come  again." 

The  rose-tree  dreamt  of  huge  palaces 
And  gardens  where  princes  roamed. 
And  days  passed  by,  and  one  morning 

The  rose-tree  heard  the  wind,  who  said: 
u  Sweet  rose-tree, 

Thou  wilt  bear  but  one  other  flower, 

And  then  no  flower  evermore. 

And  from  that  flower  will  be  born  a  handsome 

Prince,  thy  son." 
The  rose-tree  was  silent  and  trembled  and  said: 
"  Is  it  possible,  O  wind  ?  " 
"Wait  and  see,  and  the  flower  will  be  white, 
Whereas  all  thy  flowers  were  red." 
The  rose-tree  went  to  sleep,  and  in  the  night  awoke  to 
find  a  white  flower 

That  had  grown  right  up  at  its  top. 
And  when  the  sunlight  came,  lo!  a  handsome  young  Prince 
Sprang  out  in  full  armour  from  the  heart  of  the  rose, 


The  Toung  Prince.  121 

And  cried:  "Here  I  am;  I'm  a  Prince." 
And  the  rose-tree  instantly  loved  him, 

More  than  she  had  loved  sun  and  dew. 
Nay,  even  more  than  it  loved  the  sod  from  which  it  sprang. 
"  Holloa!  "  said  the  Prince,  "  I  want  equerries,  pages; 

And  since  the  forest  has  none, 
Why,  I  must  go  and  conquer  a  kingdom, 

Nor  rest  till  I  get  them  all." 
"  Stay,  sweet  boy,"  said  the  trembling  rose-tree, 

"  I  love  thee,  bright  child  of  my  heart." 
"  I'll  come  back,  mother  dear,  when  my  crown  's  on  my 
head, 
And  I'll  bring  a  proud  bride  to  admire  thee. 
Now  I  must  go;  farewell!" 
In  vain  the  tearful  rose-tree  sued  and  wept, 
The  handsome  Prince  was  gone. 
His  name  was  Trandaflr, 
Which  means,  born  of  a  rose-tree. 
And  all  the  roses  on  the  earth  were  his  sweet  sisters. 
Trandafir  walked  through  the  forest  till  he  met  a  fierce 
heiduck. 

"Art  thou  Prince  Trandafir?"  inquired  the  heiduck. 
"  Yes,  I  am  the  son  of  a  rose-tree, 
I  am  Prince  Trandafir." 
"  Then  take  this  horse  and  follow  me, 

And  fight  with  me  in  all  my  fights." 
"  I'm  a  Prince,  fierce  heiduck,  and  cannot  follow, 
When  followers  I  must  have. 


122  The  Toung  Prince, 

But  if  thou  canst  serve  and  obey, 

Then  willingly  will  I  be 

A  gracious  Prince  to  thee." 
"  Trandafir,  gentle  boy,  taste  my  sword,  taste  thy  blood, 

As  it  will  fall  from  thy  brow  to  thy  lips." 

And  the  fierce  heiduck  sprang  upon  him, 

And  they  closed  in  sharp  fight. 

Trandafir  was  the  swiftest, 

But  the  black  heiduck  was  the  fiercest. 

Twice  they  fell  to  the  ground,  and  twice  they 
rose  again, 

And  the  heiduck  roared  till  the  oaks  and  the  elms 

Were  uprooted  from  fear. 
And  Trandafir  laughed  till  the  rivers 

Returned  to  the  mountains  to  learn 

Whence  came  that  savage  laugh. 
But  the  heiduck  was  strong  and  fierce, 
And  Trandafir  felt  faint, 

When  a  rose  fell  right  into  his  hand. 

And  he  took  the  rose  and  threw  it 

At  the  fierce  heiduck, 

And  lo !  the  gentle  rose's  stem 

Fell  on  the  heiduck's  neck 

And  cut  his  black  head  ofF. 
So  Trandafir  pursued  in  peace  his  journey, 

Till  he  reached  a  high  palace 

Beside  a  smiling  lake. 
And  in  this  palace  lived  a  powerful  king, 


The  Toung  Prince.  123 

Who  had  a  lovely  daughter. 
The  maid  stood  on  the  palace  tower. 

Trandafir  saw  her  there, 

And  said :  "  She'll  be  my  bride." 

The  maid  wept  on  the  palace  tower, 

Because  her  fate  was  sad. 
She  had  one  day  wounded  a  haughty  lily 

Who  was  a  fairy,  and  said:  "Beware! 
Whatever  happiness  thou  canst  get  in  thy  life 

Thou  wilt  lose  soon, 

And  thou  wilt  be  killed  by  a  flower, 
Beware,  beware ! " 
And  Trandafir  reined  in  his  horse  beneath  the  tower  and 

spoke  to  the  maid : 
"  Beautiful  maid,  I  am  Prince  Trandafir." 

"  O  why,  O  why,"  sighed  the  young  girl, 

"  Dost  thou  wear  such  a  dreadful  name? 

A  flower  must  kill  me,  or  perchance 
A  man  who  wears  the  sweet  name  of  a  flower." 
"  IVe  killed  the  fierce  heiduck  there  in  the  forest, 

I'm  strong  and  brave, 

And  I'll  defend  thee  against  thy  fate." 

"  The  King  my  father  is  so  stern. 
The  King  my  father  wishes  me 

To  marry  a  young  Prince 
Who  changeth  into  rubies  and  diamonds 

Everything  that  he  touches." 
Said  Trandafir :  "  Beautiful  maid, 


124  The  Young  Prince. 

I'll  ride  and  seek  a  fairy 

Who'll  help  us  in  this  plight." 
"  Dear  Trandafir,  take  my  veil  and  my  bracelet 

In  token  of  my  love. 
A  flower  I  dare  not  give,  a  flower  I  dare  not  touch, 

A  flower  will  kill  me." 
Young  Trandafir  went  back  to  the  rose-tree 
And  said  to  the  rose-tree:   "Mother  dear, 

I'm  in  love  with  the  daughter  of  a  stern  king, 
And  I  will  never  be  her  bridegroom 

Till  I  learn  how  to  change 

Into  rubies  and  diamonds 

Everything  that  I  touch. 
Now,  canst  thou  find  among  thy  friends 

A  fairy  or  wizard 
Who  could  come  to  my  rescue 

And  give  me  the  means  of  conquering  my  joy  ! " 

The  rose-tree  pondered,  and  asked  the  moon: 

"  Dost  thou  change  into  rubies  and  diamonds 

All  that  thou  touchest  ? " 
"  No,"  said  the  moon,  u  my  wand  's  made  of  silver." 
And  the  rose-tree  consulted  every  bird, 

And  none  of  them  could  find  the  wizard  or  the  fairy 

That  the  rose-tree  meant; 

But  the  lark  cried  :  "  Why,  ask  the  dew  ?  " 
"  The  dew,  yes,  the  dew,"  said  the  rose-tree ; 
And  when  the  dew  came  before  dawn, 

She  said :  "  Sister  dew. 


The  Toung  Prince.  125 

My  son,  Prince  Trandafir,  requires  thee ; 

Say,  wilt  thou  help?" 
"  Willingly,"  said  the  dew;  "  Prince  Trandafir, 
Go  back  to  the  King's  palace, 
And  I  will  be  with  thee. 
Unnoticed,  I  will  help." 
Prince  Trandafir  went  back  and  told  the  maiden : 
"  Call  the  stern  King  and  let  him  hear. 
I  can  change  into  ruby  and  diamond 
All  that  I  touch." 
And  gently  he  touched  the  maiden's  hair, 

And  lo!  rubies  and  diamonds  shone  in  her  tresses  fair, 

And  they  were  made  of  dew. 
And  Trandafir  married  fair  Mariora ; 
They  were  a  happy  pair.    At  morning 
Prince  Trandafir  went  in  the  forest 

With  thirty  warriors  brave,  and  he  came  back  at  noon. 
And  there  was  scarce  a  day  when  he  had  not  killed 
A  dragon,  a  witch,  or  a  wicked  king. 
His  fame  spread  far  and  wide, 
And  Mariora  thought  no  more  of  the  dark  prophecy, 

Nor  ever  touched  a  flower. 
One  evening  as  Trandafir  wandered  by  himself 

In  his  palace  garden, 
He  heard  the  gentle  dew  whisper  to  him,  "  Go  in  the 
forest,  Prince, 
The  rose-bush  is  fading,  the  rose-bush  is  dying, 
Because  of  thee. 


126  The  Toung  Prince. 

The  rose-bush  longs  to  see  thee  before  it  dies." 

Trandaflr  proudly  answered  :  "  The  rose-bush  may  fade 
and  die. 
What  know  I  of  rose-bushes 
In  this  palace  fair?" 
And  the  gentle  dew  hastened  to  the  rose-bush  and  said: 
"  Thy  son  is  wicked  e'en  as  the  north  wind,  dear." 
And  when  the  rose-bush  heard  the  message  its  green 
leaves  fell,  and  before  sunset 
It  was  dead. 
One  single  rose  remained  alive  at  the  top  of  the  withered 
tree; 
She  was  a  purple  rose, 
She  was  a  vengeful  rose, 
And  said:   I'll  revenge  the  rose-tree." 
And  she  said  to  the  dew :  "  Canst  thou  make  me 

A  lady  tall  and  fair?" 
"  There  is  a  lady  fair  at  the  gate  of  the  palace," 

Said  a  warrior  to  Trandaflr. 
a  She  says  she  comes  from  a  land  where  young  Princes 
Meet  fair  ladies  at  the  gate  and  bow  low  to  them  and 

kiss  their  slim  white  hand." 
Prince  Trandaflr  sprang  out  to  meet  her : 
"Fair  dame,  what  is  thy  name?" 
"  Prince,  I'm  called  Trandaflra, 
Prince  Trandaflr,  like  you." 

'Tis  a  pity  I'm  married  to  a  good  and  handsome  wife." 
"  Never  mind  your  wife,  Prince;  we  will  sit  here  and  watch 


The  Toung  Prince.  127 

The  moon  walk  on  the  trees." 
"  Yes,  lovely  lady,  but  at  midnight,  alas ! 

I  must  go  and  meet  my  Princess, 

For  ladies  and  warriors  dance  in  our  garden 
Under  the  travelling  moon." 
"  Never  mind  dance  and  garden,  never  mind  warriors  and 
dames, 

The  moon  walks  on  the  leaves,  and  walks  so  lightly 

That  not  one  leaf  is  stirred. 
The  stars  are  dead  because  the  moon  has  killed  them, 

And  yet  she  smiles,  the  murderous  moon. 
You  see  I  know  all  the  white  moon's  dark  secrets, 

It 's  she  herself  that  kills  the  sun, 
And  on  the  sky  her  knife  is  bloody,  but  the  sun  rises  from 
his  tomb, 

And  every  night 

She  has  to  kill  again. 
Say,  do  you  love  my  tale." 
"  I  love  thy  tale,  fair  lady,  and  thy  lips  that  say  it 

Much  better  than  thy  tale. 
But  hark!  'tis  the  summons  of  morning, 

And  in  her  turn  the  moon  must  hasten  to  her  grave. 

In  my  high  halls  thirty  warriors  are  waiting, 

Who  long  to  ride  away." 
"  O  never  mind  your  warriors,  and  if  they  were  a  thousand 

Still  would  I  say :  c  Handsome  Prince,  never  mind.'" 

"  Give  me  a  kiss,  fair  lady." 

"  Give  me  thy  wedding  ring." 


128  The  Toung  Prince. 

And  she  took  the  ring  from  his  finger  and  disappeared. 
Trandafir  rode  away  with  his  warriors 
Quite  dazed  and  sick  at  heart. 
While  he  rode  in  the  forest  Mariora  heard  a  knock  at  her 
bower  door. 
"Push  the  door;  lift  the  heavy  curtain. 
'Tis  one  of  my  ladies,  I  suppose. 
O  who  are  you,  beautiful  stranger  ? 

Sit  down,  and  tell  me  thy  name." 
"  I'm  Trandaflra,  Prince  Trandafir's  own  wife." 
Mariora  got  as  pale  as  death, 
Mariora  gasped  for  breath. 
"  Trandafir  is  my  husband,  lady. 

This  is  madness,  foul  game,  or  ...  a  sin." 
"Trandafir's  Trandafira's  own  spouse; 

Our  wedding  took  place  in  the  forest." 
"Show  a  pledge."    "  Here's  his  ring." 
Mariora  gasped  for  breath, 
Mariora  called  aloud  on  death ; 
She  saw  the  wedding  ring,  and  knew  it, 

Yet  she  could  not  believe  the  lady's  tale. 
"  Come,"  said  she,  "  the  ring  may  be  stolen ; 
Some  other  Prince  or  a  King 
May  have  given  this  ring  to  thee. 
We  will  wait  till  the  Prince  returns." 
Mariora  hid  Trandafira 
Behind  the  curtains  in  her  bower, 
And  Trandafir  rode  home; 


The  Toung  Prince.  129 

He  had  killed  a  dragon,  two  witches, 
And  felt  merry  and  laughed  and  sang, 
And  ran  towards  her,  and  sought  to  kiss  her  on  her  lips. 
But  Mariora  smiled  and  said:   "Dear  Trandaflr, 
I  will  tell  thee  a  tale; 
It  is  about  the  moon. 
The  moon  had  killed  the  sun."  .... 
"  But  why  art  thou  so  pale,  dear  husband? 

Why  so  trembling? " 
"  O,  never  mind  ;  I'm  pale  because 

The  moon  has  killed  the  sun." 
"  But  the  sun  rises  every  morning  from  his  red  tomb. 
Now  to-day  I  have  heard  a  strange  thing,  my  fair  husband. 
The  moon  still  loves  the  sun, 
And  they  are  wedded; 
They  have  a  marriage  ring. 
It  is  made  of  the  gold  of  the  sun 
And  the  silver  of  the  moon, 
Exactly  like  our  own ;  but  let  me  see 
Thy  wedding  ring,  for  thy  finger 
Makes  every  ring  look  fair." 
Trandaflr  answered  :  "  I  have  given 
The  ring  to  my  cup-bearer  old, 
For  there  was  some  spot  on  the  gold." 
"  No,  no,  no,  no,  the  cup-bearer  is  not  the  human  creature 
To  whom  thou  hast  given  my  ring. 
Her  name  is  Trandaflra, 
And  she  is  hiding  here. 

K 


130  The  Toung  Prince. 

Thou  lovest  Trandafira. 
Thy  poor  wife  now  must  die." 
"  Dear  wife,  sweet  wife,  fair  Mariora, 
Forgive !  " 
But  Mariora  had  taken  a  long  knife, 
And  put  an  end  to  her  fair  life; 
And  at  that  moment  Trandafira  came  up  to  him  and  said: 
"  I  am  a  purple  rose, 
I'll  revenge  the  rose-tree,  Prince, 
The  rose-tree  from  which  thou  art  born, 
And  to  which  thou  hast  shown  no  love; 
And  all  the  roses  on  the  earth 

Will  be  thy  enemies  for  evermore." 
Trandafir  wept  and  rode  away, 

He  found  no  peace  by  day,  he  found  no  peace  by 

night, 
Till  he  entered  the  doors  of  a  convent, 
And  asked  to  live  there  as  a  monk. 
"What  will  be  my  work  here,  my  brothers?" 

"We  live  with  the  roses  and  pray." 
TrandafiVs  little  garden  was  full  of  roses, 

He  could  not  look  at  them. 
"O  why  does  that  man  fear  his  roses? 
He  must  be  sore  beset  by  his  sins." 
Trandafir  could  not  pray. 
Whenever  he  lifted  his  soul  and  his  voice 
The  smell  of  the  garden  roses 
Entered  the  darksome  church. 


The  Toung  Prince.  I  3  1 

And  because  of  the  garden  roses 
Trandafir  could  not  pray. 
"  That  man  cannot  pray,  O  my  brothers ! 

His  sins  must  be  terrible  indeed." 
And  one  day  came  the  convent  was  burnt  down, 
And  all  the  monks  wept,  all 
Except  Trandafir. 
Because  of  the  smell  of  the  roses, 
Because  of  the  garden  roses, 
Trandafir  could  not  weep. 
So  the  monks  said  to  him:  "Brother  dear, 
We  are  in  fear  of  thee ; 
Go  and  live  in  the  forest,  brother, 
Where  perhaps  thou  wilt  learn 
How  sweet  'tis  to  weep  and  pray." 
And  Trandafir  went  in  the  forest  deep, 
The  forest  where  he  was  born, 
And  he  said  to  the  trees:  "I'm  the  son 

Of  the  fine  rose-tree." 
But  the  trees  said :  u  The  rose-tree  's  dead ; 
Other  rose-trees  have  come 
By  the  banks  of  the  stream." 
And  he  said  to  the  birds:  "O  birds,  do  you  remember 

How  high  the  rose-tree  was?  " 
And  the  birds  answered:  "No." 
But  he  heard  the  nightingale  say :  "  O  how  sad 

Is  the  death  of  a  rose-tree,  and  how  strange 
That  a  rose-tree  should  die; 


132  The  Toung  Prince. 

I  knew  a  rose-tree  once 
Who,  instead  of  bearing  a  flower, 
Gave  birth  to  a  young  Prince. 
The  rose-tree  's  dead, 
And  I  alone  am  come  to  sing  its  dirge." 
"  O  gentle  nightingale,  I  am  that  rose-tree's  son. 
Fain  would  I  be  myself  a  rose-tree, 
I'm  so  weary  of  life,  O  gentle  nightingale." 
And  the  nightingale  said : 
"  Listen :  I'll  sing 

Till  thou  becomest  a  rose-tree,  Prince. 
Listen,  I'll  sing." 
And  the  gentle  nightingale  sang  all  the  night, 
And  at  dawn 

At  the  place  where  Trandafir  stood 
There  was  a  tall  rose-tree. 

"  TeSy  this  is  the  tale  of  the  Prince 
JVho,  born  of  a  rose-tree 
Became  a  rose-tree  himself. 
Say,  dost  thou  like  the  tale?" 
"  Yes,  take  the  flax  and  the  wool, 
Take  my  spindle, 
I  like  thy  tale? 


The  Knife  and  the  Wind.  1 3  3 


THE  KNIFE  AND  THE  WIND; 

OR, 
THE  GIRL  WHO  WAS  THRICE  BETROTHED. 

The  water  that  thou  givest  me  to  drink  is  cool  and  sweet. 
The  water  in  the  well  lives  so  far  from  the  sun, 
So  the  water  imagines  that  the  sun  and  the  moon 
Dwell  but  for  an  hour  in  the  sky. 
Shall  I  tell  thee  a  tale,  just  to  thank  thee  for  the  cool  sweet 
water, 

Shall  I  tell  thee  a  tale? 
And  the  water  in  the  well  will  hear  my  voice, 
Because  alike  unto  the  sun  and  the  swift  moon, 
As  they  rest  on  the  water, 
I  will  rest  hut  one  hour  here; 
But  if  I  tell  thee  the  strange  tale, 

Thou  wilt  remember  the  traveller  unknown, 
And  the  form  of  his  shadow  at  thy  feet; 
And  I  will  tell  thee  the  strange  tale  without  leaving  my 
saddle, 
Because  my  horse  is  swift. 
And  if  I  leave  him  he  may  run  away, 

And  I  never  catch  him  again! 


134  The  Knife  and  the  Wind. 

There  happened  once  what  ne'er  before  had  happened, 

And  can  nevermore  happen  again. 
A  young  girl  lived  in  a  village  hard  by  the  mountains, 

And  when  she  passed  near,  the  mountain-flowers 
all  whispered : 
"  O  sister,  stay  with  us," 
And  at  night  the  stars  said:  "Dear  sister, 

Come  and  dance  with  us  in  the  sky." 
The  sun  said  to  her:  "  Lovely  sister,  do  give  me  thy  hair 
that  I  may 

Twine  its  gold  between  my  own  tresses, 
And  at  noon  the  plain  will  not  know  when 
I  shed  my  hair  on  the  forest 

Which  is  thy  own  hair  or  my  hair." 
And  the  river  said :  "  O  swift-footed, 

Cross  my  waters  with  thy  swift  young  feet, 
And  my  pebbles,  my  sand,  and  my  flowers 
Will  never  guess,  dear  swift-footed, 
Which  of  the  two  have  been  fleetest 
Of  my  waters,  dear,  or  thy  own  swift  feet." 

But  the  young  girl  would  not  listen, 

Nor  dance  with  the  stars,  nor  give 
Her  long  hair  to  the  sun, 
Nor  cross  the  bright  river. 
The  young  girl  called  aloud  for  love. 

She  said:   "Come,  love. — I  want  to  love  and  be 
beloved. 


The  Knife  and  the  Wind.  1 3  5 

I  want  great  love  to  come  to  me. 
Love,  be  as  young  and  cruel  as  the  young 
knife 
That  has  never  drunk  one  single  drop  of  blood; 
Love,  be  as  mighty  and  soft  as  the  wind ; 
As  warm,  as  full  of  dreams  as  the  warm  sod 

That  covers  the  dead  and  wraps  them  in  long 
sleep. 
Love  be  alike  unto  the  blessed  young  eyes  of  the  sun, — 
And  the  knife,  and  the  wind,  and  the  blessed  eye  of  the 
sun  heard  the  young  girl  call  them  all, 
For  she  had  aloud  and  thrice  called  them. 
A  young  knife  that  hung  on  the  wall  marked  her  words, 
And  when  night  came,  when  the  gentle  stars 

were  away 
To  dance  and  to  brighten  the  wedding 
Of  a  couple  of  distant  young  stars, 
The  young  knife  sprang  down  from  the  wall, 
And  he  ran  towards  the  house  where  a  great  wizard  dwelt. 
His  roof  was  made  of  reeds,  and   these   reeds 
closed  his  hut. 
The  young  knife  cut  the  reeds,  and  the  reeds 
moaned  and  said:    "Nevermore  will 
the  wind 
Cause  us  to  sing  or  sigh." 
The  young  knife  entered. 
"  Say,  who  art  thou  ?  " 
"  I  am  the  young  knife,  wizard. 


1 36  The  Knife  and  the  Wind, 

I  have  as  yet  ne'er  drunk  a  drop  of  blood." 
"  O,  then  what  canst  thou  say  to  me  ? 

"  I  love  red  tales  where  knifes  relate  their  crimes." 
"  But  thou,  young  knife,  what  canst  thou  say  to 
me, 
Since  thou  hast  never  killed  ?  " 
"  A  young  girl  dwells  under  the  roof  where  I  am  a  young 
knife. 
She  thrice  hath  said  :  c  The  love  that  comes  to  me 
Must  be  alike  unto  the  knife  whose  blade  has  never  tasted 
blood.' 
And  I  must  accomplish  her  fate, 
Because  her  own  mouth  has  called  it." 
<c  Thou  art  right!   since  it  is  her  fate. 
Then  touch  my  shoulder,  tear  my  white  garment,  tear 
my  skin, 
And  with  thy  blade  just  touch  my  blood." 
The  knife  tore  the  white  garment,  and  tore  the  wizard's 
skin,  and  touched  his  blood, 
And  lo!  he  instantly  became  a  fair  young  man, 
With  eyes  gray  as  the  moon  at  dawn, 
With  teeth  as  white  as  new  stones  on  new  tombs. 
His  black  hair  glittered  under  his  black  fur  cap, 

A  leather  mantle  fell  down  to  his  feet,  and  the  huge 
belt  around  his  waist 
Was  full  of  glistening  knives. 
"Take  a  knife  from  thy  belt,"  said  the  great  wizard, 
"  And  admire  thyself  in  its  blade." 


The  Knife  and  the  Wind.  1 37 

And  the  young  man  took  a  knife  for  his  mirror, 
And  he  found  himself  fair,  and  he  smiled. 
Then  he  vanished  gaily  in  haste. 


Stana  stood  by  her  cottage  window; 

Twice  had  her  spindle  knocked  against  her  knee; 

Twice  had  she  said:  "  How  madly  spindle  dances! 

Is  it  a  presage,  spindle  dear  ? 
Will  some  unknown,  fair  to  behold,  cross  our  threshold? 

Say  will  love  come  to-day? 
And  will  love  be  young  like  the  knife  that  never  has  drunk 
blood?" 
That  day  Stana  forgot 

The  wind,  the  sod,  and  the  eye  of  the  sun. 
"  Thou  twirl'st  too  swiftly,  spindle." 
And  the  spindle   sprang  out  and   nestled   among   the 
flowers. 
"  Young  girl,  leave  thy  spindle  alone, 

Let  it  rest. 
Leave  thy  spindle  among  grass  and  flowers, 
And  thy  spindle  then  will  believe 
That  it  is  a  young  tree  once  more, 
A  young  branch  full  of  joy  and  soft. 
Young  girl,  leave  thy  spindle,  I  say." 
Stana  looked  up  and  saw  the  fair  young  man, 

"  O  ! "  said  her  heart,  «  O  this,  indeed,  is  love ! " 
Aloud  she  said:   "  Come  in,  and  drink  cool  water, 


138  The  Knife  and  the  Wind. 

My  mother,  alas!  is  away. 

She  has  taken  the  oxen  to  the  well  that  is  on 
the  other  side  of  the  plain. 
My  father  tends  the  maize,  for  it  has  rained  so 
much,  and  the  grass  around  the  green 
maize  is  so  high. 
And  if  I  stay  at  home  and  spin,  'tis  not  because  I'm  lazy, 
But  the  ripe  corn  is  in  since  yestereve, 
And  I  must  watch  it. 
But  I  am  strong,  and  can  work  too  in  the  fields." 
"  Yes,  I  see  thou  art  strong  and  diligent,"  said  he, 
"  So  I  will  take  thee  for  my  wife. 
Thou  wilt  walk  in  the  paths  where  I  walk,  and  when  I 
pillow  my  head  on  a  stone  to  sleep 
Thou  wilt  put  thy  foot  on  the  stone, 
And  then  that  stone  will  be  beneath  my  head 
lighter  than  new-mown  grass." 
"I  love  thee,"  said  Stana; 
"  Thou  art  young  and  strong,  and  alike  unto  the  roots  of 
a  great  tree,  who,  invisible,  follow  us  under  ground 
long  after  we  have  left  its  shadow." 
And  when  Stana's  parents  returned  at  eve,  she  said: 
"  I  have  found  my  fate. 

This  man  will  be  my  husband,  and  he  shall  call 
me:  Wife.'" 
And  the  days  glided  by  and  the  day  of  the  wedding  was 
nigh. 
One  thing  alone  troubled  the  young  girl's  heart, 


The  Knife  and  the  Wind.  1 3  9 

And  lay  heavy  upon  her  soul. 
Whatever  her  beloved  touched  with  his  hands 
Was  immediately  rent  in  twain. 
On  her  necklace  the  silver  coins  were  broken, 

Her  red  belt  torn,  and  the  stone  of  the  threshold  was 

felled 
As  if  a  thunderbolt  had  fallen  upon  it. 
u  Touch  not  my  smile,"  she  said,  "  or  thou  wilt  kill 

it." 
Yet  Stana  loved  him, 
Yet  their  lips  had  never  met. 
And  the  nightingale  and  the  moon,  and  the  pinks  and  the 

lilies  in  the  garden 
They  talked  together  and  whispered, 
"  Their  lips  have  never  met." 
On  the  day  of  their  wedding,  while  the  sun  hastened 

to  leave  them  in  the  dark, 
They  remained  alone,  and  the  young  man  said  to 

Stana:  "Kiss  me!" 
"  Yes,"  answered  she,  "  yes,  yes,  our  lips  must  join 

as  our  destinies  are  now  joined  for  evermore." 
And  in  the  garden  the  moon, 

The  nightingale  and  the  lilies  said  soft: 
"Their  lips  now  meet." 
But  when  Stana  felt  on  her  lips  the  lips  of  her  beloved 

spouse 
She  also  felt 
That  her  heart  broke  in  twain 


1 40  The  Knife  and  the  Wind, 

Just  like  the  stones  of  the  threshold, 
And  she  said  aloud :  "  'Tis  a  knife !  " — 
And  her  arms  were  empty  because  the  young  body  she 
pressed  against  her  bosom  was  gone, 
And  she  saw  a  knife  only  that  glittered  at  her  feet. 
***** 
Stana  dreamt  long  of  her  lost  love  and  could  not  bear  the 
sight  of  young  men 
Whose  belts  were  full  of  glittering  knives — 
"  Shalll  allow  Stana  to  die  without  love  ? "  thought  the  wind; 

"  She  has  called  thrice  upon  me  too." 
And  in  his  turn  the  wind  entered  the  wizard's  hut. 

The  broken  reeds  still  lay  upon  the  floor. 
"  Who  art  thou  ?  "  "  I'm  the  wind  ! 

Let  me  become  if  only  for  an  hour 

A  fair  young  man  most  wondrous  to  behold." 
"  What,  art  thou  not  content  with  thy  dear  power,  O 
wind, 
That  bringest  warmth  and  coolness  to  the  earth  ? " 
a  No,  no !  I  wish  to  be  a  fair  young  man 
And  taste  sweet  love." 
"  Then,"  said  the  wizard,  "just  soothe  these  broken  reeds; 

They  are  now  pining  for  a  breath  of  thee." 
And  the  wind  wandered  among  the  reeds, 

And  soothed  them  and  spoke  of  their  pain, 
Till  he  drew  from  their  dead  leaves  a  murmur 
As  soft  as  the  rush  of  their  native  stream. 
And  while  the  wind  whispered  and  rustled 


The  Knife  and  the  Wind.  1 4 1 

He  felt  as  hot  as  his  own  breath 
In  the  hot  summer  days, 
And  then  he  knew  he  had  become 
A  young  man  fair  and  strong. 
His  brow  was  fresh  like  the  poplars  in  the  morning 

glow, 
And  a  lute  trembled  in  his  hands; 
Three  peacock's  feathers  adorned  his  gray  fur  cap; 
On  his  white  tunic 
A  belt  of  gold  and  silver. 
***** 
Stana  was  plucking  the  new-born  basil  flowers  from  her 
garden, 
The  basil  flowers  for  the  young  girls  that  went  to 
dance  swift  dances ; 
But  Stana  danced  no  more. 
"  Give  me  a  sprig  of  the  new-born  basil,"  a  voice  said. 
Stana  trembled. 
It  seemed  the  new-born  basil  himself  had  spoken, 
For  the  voice  was  so  like  the  murmur  of  the  wind. 
"  Give  me  the  new-born  basil,  sweet  young  girl, 
And  I  will  sing  for  thee. 
I  know  but  one  short  single  song, 
That  will  I  sing.,, 
She  saw  that  he  was  handsome  like  the  poplar  in  the  glow 
of  the  morrow, 
And  she  gave  him  the  basil  and  he  sang. 
He  sang  of  the  sadness  of  the  moon 


1 42  The  Knife  and  the  Wind. 

When  she  looked  down  on  the  corn 
And  guessed  that  he  would  be  cut  before  dawn. 
He  sang  of  souls  that  lay  like  cut  corn  never  to  rise 
and  hail  the  sun  again ! 
Veils,  necklaces,  and  daggers  passed  lightly  through  his 

song, 
And  the  spirits  of  the  dead  and  their  shadows  who  come 
at  night 
To  kiss  their  beloved  and  to  weep, 
And  the  smell  of  every  living  flower  enveloped  the  wind's 
song. 
And  Stana  listened  standing  in  her  garden 
With  both  arms  folded  on  her  breast, 
While  beside  the  fence  the  wondrous  stranger  sang. 
When  the  crescent  began  to  twinkle  he  had  vanished. 
And  Stana  cried  aloud:  "Where  is  he? 
O  my  wild  love  has  gone,  and  I  must  follow  j 
O,  I  must  hear  that  song  once  more." 
Before  leaving  she  said  to  her  parents : 

"  Father  and  mother,  forgive,  I  have  to  go." 
And  they  said:  "Daughter,  where  hast  thou  been  these 
ten  years  ? " 
"  I  have  been  but  for  an  hour  in  the  garden 
To  hear  a  traveller  sing." 
"  Daughter,  it  is  ten  years  that  we  are  weeping, 
And  have  searched  thee  in  every  place." 
"  O  father,  an  hour  only." 
"  O  daughter,  ten  long  years." 


The  Knife  and  the  Wind,  143 

She  looked  upon  father  and  mother, 
They  had  grown  weak  and  old. 
She  had  listened,  and  it  had  seemed  an  hour, 

And  he  had  sung  ten  years ! 
And  she  went  from  village  to  village, 
From  plain  to  plain  she  went  and  asked : 
"  O  have  ye  seen  the  traveller 
Who  sang  ten  years  near  my  heart, 
So  that  I  deemed  I  had  listened  but  an  hour  ? 
He  wore  a  belt  of  gold  and  silver,  and  his  fore- 
head was  gay  like  the  poplar  in  the  morn- 
ing glow." 
"  Oh,  yes !  ten  years  ago  a  young  man  fair  indeed, 
and  who  sang  marvellous  songs 
Hath  passed  this  way, 

But  we  have  never  heard  from  him  since  then. 
Oh,  yes !  sometimes  his  song  wanders  still  by  us. 
Cannot  you  mark  it  now  ? 
But  he  remains  invisible  and  gives  naught  but  his 


song." 


The  wizard  slept  deeply. 

He  heard  a  step  beside  his  door : 
"Who's  there?" 
"  Open  quick !  I  am  the  deep  dark  sod, 
The  sod  that  will  be  a  tomb  to-morrow." 
"What  is  thy  wish?" 
"  I  want  to  become  a  fair  young  man,  if  only  for  one 
hour." 


1 44  The  Knife  and  the  Wind. 

"Then  promise,  fearful  earth,  that  thou  wilt  feed  my 
hair  with  soft  earth  when  I  am  lain  in  thee, 
And  fill  my  ears,  too,  so  that  I  mark  no  more 
The  song  of  birds,  the  sound  of  lovers'  lips." 
"  This  all  I  promise." 

vfc  W  W  $fc  7F 

Stana  was  watching  her  pale  face  in  the  stream. 
"  I  wonder,"  said  she,  "  whether  he  saw  my  face 
While  he  sang  that  short  song." 
When  suddenly  upon  the  water 
She  saw  a  young  man's  visage, 
A  bold  fair  face 
Touch  her  lips  and  her  brows. 
And  a  voice  said:  "  Come  with  me, 

Pale  young  girl,  come. 
Follow  and  I  will  lift  thee  to  the  saddle. 
My  horse  is  swift, 

He  can  travel  over  the  whole  earth  in  a  second. 
Palace  and  hut  vanish  before  us 
When  my  horse  neighs. 
So  follow!" 
"  And  if  I  do  shall  I  find  the  young  traveller 
Who  sang  beside  my  heart, 
Shall  I  find  him  and  hear 
His  long-lost  song." 

The  young  man  hesitated "  Sometimes,  in  winter, 

It  will  creep  around  thy  knee ; 
But  come — my  horse  is  swift." 


The  Knife  and  the  Wind.  145 

But  during  that  time  the  blessed  eye  of  the  sun 
Had  seen  the  wizard  and  become   a   marvellous 

young  warrior. 
Three  white  feathers  fluttered  on  his  white  fur  cap, 
And  his  spurs  were  sharp  and  his  sword  shone  like 

water; 
He  wore  a  belt  of  blue  beads,  and  he  ran  hard  to 

rescue  Stana. 
The  bold  stranger  had  lifted  her  to  his  dark  horse's 

saddle. 
The  eye  of  the  sun  looked  and  laughed, 
And  cried:  "Stop  one  second,  thou  bold  one! 

This  maiden  is  mine, 
And  we  will  fight  for  her." 
And  the  two  fought  under  the  trees  by  the  stream 
till  the  stream  vanished, 
Till  the  leaves  of  the  trees  fell  from  fear, 
And  the  eye  of  the  sun  was  the  victor, 
And  said  to  Stana  :  "  Come  !  " 
But  pale  Stana  then  answered :  "  Oh  !  no. 

Thou  art  too  bright,  too  fair,  and  I  am  weary; 
I  love  the  other  best,  because  his  horse  is  swift, 

and  because  huts  and  palaces  must  vanish 
When  his  dark  horse  neighs !  " 


1 46         The  Emperor  and  the  Mouse, 


THE  EMPEROR  AND  THE  MOUSE. 

This  happened  which  never  had  happened  before,  and  will 
never  happen  again.  An  Emperor  and  his  Empress  pined 
because  no  children  were  born  unto  them.  They  had  gone 
on  several  pilgrimages,  and  wept  at  the  shrines  of  saints, 
till  at  last  they  gave  up  the  fond  hope,  and  when  they 
talked  together  theysighed  and  said:  "Alas!  who  will  throw 
flowers  upon  our  tombs  when  we  are  dead,  and  pray  for 
our  poor  souls? "  One  evening,  as  they  sat  on  the  balcony  of 
their  palace,  they  saw  a  little  mouse  carrying  a  bit  of  straw. 
The  Empress  was  good  and  helpful,  the  straw  was  big  and 
the  mouse  very  small,  so  with  the  tip  of  her  slipper  she 
helped  the  mouse  by  lifting  up  the  straw.  At  this  the 
mouse  said:  "  Kind  Empress,  thy  wish  will  be  fulfilled ;  a 
son  will  be  born  to  grace  thy  days,  but  he  will  be  cruel 
and  haughty;  he  will  throw  his  father  in  a  dungeon  and 
his  mother  in  a  dry  well."  "  Yet  I  will  love  him,"  said  the 
Empress, "  for  he  will  be  the  child  of  my  desire.  So  I  thank 
thee  for  the  good  news,  little  mouse."  But  the  Emperor 
got  very  angry,  and  said:  "  How  can  I  forgive  the  mouse 
for  telling  me  that  the  son  of  my  pride  and  of  my  heart 
will  be  cruel  and  bring  such  calamities  upon  us?  "  And  the 
Emperor  caught  the  mouse  in  his  hands  and  had  her  im- 


The  TLmperor  and  the  Mouse.  1 47 

prisoned  in  a  cage,  and  said:  "This  cage  must  ever  hang 
above  the  balcony  where  the  mouse  has  had  the  impudence 
to  bring  such  tidings."  Then  he  turned  to  the  Empress 
and  said:  "  My  dear,  I  don't  believe  the  desire  of  our  soul 
will  ever  be  fulfilled."  The  Emperor  was  therefore  much 
astonished  when  he  had  the  joy  of  publishing  over  all  his 
wide  realms  the  birth  of  a  son,  and  for  some  time  the  dire 
prophecy  was  forgotten.  The  young  Prince  was  called 
Zador,  and  for  some  time  he  grew  in  mind  and  beauty, 
and  no  one  could  approach  him  without  wondering  at  his 
fine  looks,  his  bold  demeanour,  his  long  golden  locks,  and 
his  tranquil  gray  eyes.  At  eighteen  Prince  Zador  was  the 
handsomest  young  man  in  his  father's  wide  realms ;  the 
Empress  simply  adored  him,  and  the  Prince  never  gave 
any  sign  of  wickedness  or  even  ill-temper.  He  spoke  very 
little,  and  went  about  the  glorious  gardens  and  the  magni- 
ficent palaces  without  deigning  to  notice  their  splendours. 
His  soul  appeared  to  be  rivetted  on  one  mysterious  dream. 
When  he  reached  his  twentieth  birthday  he  stepped  into 
his  father's  room  and  said  softly:  "Great  Emperor,  I  am 
now  a  man,  and  cannot  spend  my  life  in  revels  and  idle 
dreams.  Give  me  one  of  thy  kingdoms;  give  me  wild 
horses  and  a  host  of  wild  warriors.  I  cannot  stay  in  thy 
court  under  the  gentle  gaze  of  courteous  damsels,  and  to 
see  thy  courtiers  smile  or  yawn."  This  speech  was  delivered 
in  a  low,  even  voice,  but  the  young  man's  hand  was  on 
his  sword,  and  his  eyes  looked  a  thousand  swords,  and 
though  the  Emperor  found  his  wish  very  natural,  and  im- 


148  The  ^Emperor  and  the  Mouse. 

mediately  acquiesced,  a  creeping  sense  of  cold  gathered 
round  his  heart  as  he  saw  his  son's  gray  eyes  glitter  and 
his  nostrils  distend.  He  said  nothing  of  this  to  the  Empress, 
but  simply  told  her  he  had  given  Zador  his  southern  king- 
dom, where  palm-trees  waved  by  crystal  fountains  and 
where  the  nights  were  as  clear  as  the  broad  light  of  day. 
"  Zador  will  love  his  southern  kingdom,"  added  the  Em- 
peror. "  The  evenings  here  are  raw,  and  it  is  sad  to  see  the 
leaves  fall  in  autumn,  and  to  believe  nature  is  dead  till 
spring  returns."  The  Empress  wept  over  her  son's  de- 
parture, but  when  she  saw  how  beautifully  he  rode  his 
fiery  black  horse  at  the  head  of  his  valiant  army,  her  heart 
danced  with  a  fond  mother's  pride,  and  she  waved  her 
silken  handkerchief  and  cried  from  the  golden  balcony: 
"  Come  back  soon,  my  Zador,  come  back  victorious  and  full 
of  glee."  "  Ay,"  said  the  Prince,  and  uncovered  his  glossy 
locks  and  bowed  to  his  imperial  mother  till  his  brow 
seemed  to  touch  his  horse's  black  mane.  "  I  will  come  back, 
mother,  and  you  will  then  live  a  day  of  wonder  indeed." 
The  beautiful  court  damsels  kept  the  dainty  kerchiefs  to 
their  eyes  and  threw  their  blue  silken  scarfs  after  him,  and 
soon  the  gallop  of  the  fiery  horses  was  lost  in  the  distance, 
and  the  Empress  found  the  glorious  gardens  and  the  mag- 
nificent palace  were  lonely  and  dark  without  Prince  Zador, 
and  she  assembled  her  maidens  and  told  them:  "  Let  us  sit 
down  to  our  work  and  talk  of  the  Prince  and  tell  me  all 
he  said  and  all  you  have  heard  about  him."  So  the  beautiful 
maidens  brought  the  big  tapestry,  on  which  the  Empress 


The  'Emperor  and  the  Mouse.  1 49 

and  her  ladies  traced  with  skilful  needle  and  varied  silks 
the  love-story  of  the  red  dragon  and  the  fair  Princess,  and 
while  their  nimble  fingers  chose  the  coloured  silk  in  the 
rich  skeins  they  talked  and  the  name  of  Prince  Zador  fell 
from  their  charming  lips,  and  the  Empress  sighed  and 
smiled  by  turns. 

Good  tidings  came  from  Prince  Zador  at  first;  he  rode 
and  fought  the  enemies  of  the  land,  and  was  always  vic- 
torious; but  his  subjects  he  ruled  with  iron  rod,  and  the 
Emperor  received  secret  messengers  from  the  southern 
kingdom,  who  said  to  him:  "  Not  the  breath  of  the  waving 
palm-trees,  nor  the  sound  of  our  crystal  fountains,  can 
console  us  for  the  loss  of  thy  fatherly  sway.  Thy  son  is 
haughty  and  cruel,  and  he  breaks  the  spirit  of  man  and 
the  heart  of  woman.  Every  woman  and  every  maid  who 
sees  him  must  love  the  Prince  Zador;  he  encourages  the 
foolish  wench  till  she  verily  believes  he  loves  her  too,  then 
he  laughs  and  scoffs,  and  the  poor  creature  pines  and  the 
poor  creature  dies.  O  great  Emperor,  why  is  not  thy  son 
alike  unto  thee  and  the  sweet  Empress,  thy  imperial  wife  ? " 
Then  another  messenger  came  in  secret  and  said:  "Great 
Emperor,  thy  son,  the  handsome  Prince  Zador,  speaks 
slightingly  of  thee  and  of  the  sweet  Empress,  thy  imperial 
spouse,  and  when  thy  health  was  drunk  by  his  warriors 
as  they  rode  their  fiery  horses  before  going  to  the  battle, 
he  struck  down  the  cup  from  the  oldest  warrior's  hand, 
and  laughed  to  see  the  wine  spilt  on  the  gauntlet  and  on 
the  horse's  mane,  and  said:  '  When  I  am  present  the  Em- 


150  The  Emperor  and  the  Mouse. 

peror's  name  must  nevermore  be  mentioned/ "  The 
Emperor  sighed  and  moaned,  and  said  to  himself:  "  What 
if  the  words  of  the  little  mouse  should  come  true?  "  The 
little  mouse  still  lived  confined  in  the  golden  cage  above 
the  balcony,  and  patiently  awaited  the  day  her  words  would 
be  fulfilled.  Soon  tidings  followed  each  other  quick.  First 
Prince  Zador  wrote  a  haughty,  cold  letter:  "  Father,"  said 
he,  "I  am  getting  tired  of  this,  my  southern  kingdom.  I 
will  keep  it  and  return  here  from  time  to  time,  but  I  would 
now  have  thy  larger  kingdom  in  the  north."  And  the 
Emperor  gave  in  and  wrote  back  to  his  son:  "  Princely  son, 
I  give  thee  my  kingdom  in  the  north,  where  the  snowy 
swans  wander  on  the  glittering  lakes,  and  where  the  birds 
sing  like  the  soul  of  an  amorous  maiden.  But  one  thing 
I  ask  of  thee:  my  old  mother,  who  was  my  father's  Em- 
press, lives  in  a  palace  of  ivory  amid  the  great  pine-trees 
on  the  border  of  a  glittering  lake.  She  is  insane,  and  loves 
to  gaze  night  and  day  upon  the  swans  and  the  waters. 
O  do  not  trouble  her  repose  nor  seek  to  see  her,  nor 
wander  near  the  palace  with  armed  warriors."  Prince 
Zador  answered  not,  nor  sent  a  messenger  to  thank  his 
father,  but  started  in  great  pomp  from  his  southern  king- 
dom to  his  new  kingdom  in  the  north.  The  insane  Em- 
press who  dwelt  in  the  ivory  palace  saw  the  swans  cease 
to  swim,  and  their  plumage  got  dark  like  the  night,  and 
she  opened  the  windows  of  the  Palace  and  asked :  "  O 
gentle  swans,  why  do  ye  cease  to  swim,  and  why  do  ye 
become  as  dark  as  the  night,  ye  whose  whiteness  made 


The  Emperor  and  the  Mouse.  1 5 1 

the  snow  feel  jealous?  "  And  the  swans  answered:  "  Prince 
Zador  is  on  his  way  to  this  his  northern  kingdom."  The 
insane  Empress  then  asked:  "Who  is  Prince  Zador?" 
And  the  swans  again  answered:  "  He  is  a  terrible  Prince; 
at  his  sight  the  spring  forests  become  sere,  and  the  swans' 
plumage  becomes  as  dark  as  a  moonless  night."  And 
the  insane  Empress  said  to  herself:  "There  is  no  ruler 
in  this  land  but  the  Emperor,  my  son.  These  swans 
must  be  insane."  And  she  closed  her  windows  and  took 
up  a  broken  lute.  In  the  meantime  Prince  Zador  came 
into  the  neighbourhood  of  the  ivory  palace.  For  his 
first  thought  had  been  to  see  the  mystery  of  its  walls,  and 
to  intrude  upon  the  solitude  of  the  insane  Empress. 
He  knocked  loudly  at  the  gate.  There  was  no  answer, 
and  he  mounted  the  ivory  staircase  and  wandered  on  the 
ivory  terrace,  and  found  no  one  to  whom  he  could  speak; 
so  he  called  his  warriors,  and  with  pickaxe  and  sword 
they  threw  the  wide  doors  down,  and  in  the  hall  they 
saw  the  tall  Empress,  who  looked  as  young  as  in  her 
youthful  days.  "  Surely,"  said  Prince  Zador,  bowing  down 
his  proud  head  before  her,  "  thou  art  not  the  insane  mother 
of  the  wise  Emperor  my  father?"  At  this  the  Empress 
flew  into  a  rage,  and  cried,  "  Who  said  I  am  insane?  Who 
dare  mention  the  word  in  my  presence  ?  The  swans  on 
the  lake  are  insane,  because  their  plumage  is  dark  like  the 
night  since  they  dream  of  a  certain  Prince  Zador,  and  the 
world  at  large  is  insane.  Insane  the  birds  who  build  nests 
and  sing  when  they  know  winter  is  apace,  and  will  break 


1 5  2  The  ILmperor  and  the  Mouse. 

their  nests  and  their  song.  Insane  the  men  and  the  women 
who  love  when  the  form  of  their  own  tomb  stares  them  full 
in  the  face  in  every  tomb  they  see.  And  insane  the  foolish 
young  Prince  Zador;  he  believes  he  frightens  w^and  he  will 
die  by  a  woman's  will  and  by  a  woman's  hand."  She  looked 
at  him  with  fiery  eyes,  and  for  the  first  time  in  his  life 
Prince  Zador  was  cowed  and  trembling,  and  yet  he  could 
not  get  away,  and  the  insane  Empress  again  said:  "  Thou 
art  handsome  and  graceful,  lad.  Thou  must  love  fine 
revels  and  beautiful  maidens.  Stay  here  till  the  evening, 
and  I  will  show  thee  something  thou  hast  never  seen." 
Then  she  retired,  and  Prince  Zador  bade  his  retinue  to 
wander  in  the  beautiful  gardens,  as  he  desired  to  remain 
alone.  And  he  spent  the  whole  day  by  himself  in  the  ivory 
palace,  and  he  went  like  a  ghost  from  chamber  to  chamber, 
seized  with  astonishment  and  with  something  akin  to  fear, 
as  in  the  mirrors  which  adorned  the  ivory  walls,  instead  of 
perceiving  his  own  image  reflected,  he  saw  strange  scenes 
and  personages  who  seemed  to  live.  He  saw  crimes  com- 
mitted, and  true  love  pledged  and  false  love  avenged.  He 
saw  fierce  battles  fought,  and  all  took  place  in  silence,  and 
when  he  tried  to  speak  to  the  beings  that  passed  before  his 
eyes  he  heard  naught  but  the  echo  of  his  own  trembling 
voice,  and  when  he  tried  to  seize  their  hands  or  touch  their 
raiments  his  fingers  felt  the  cold  of  the  crystal  mirror,  and 
he  went  from  one  scene  to  another  like  one  in  a  dream, 
and  dizziness  and  sickness  of  heart  came  upon  him,  but  he 
could  neither  stop  from  walking  nor  from  gazing.    At  last 


The  Emperor  and  the  Mouse.  i  53 

twilight  arrived ;  as  the  gentle  sun  fell  on  the  golden  waters 
of  the  lake  Prince  Zador  heard  the  swans  sing  and  their 
plumage  was  black  that  in  the  morning  had  been  white. 
The  last  rays  of  daylight  faded,  and  then  the  insane  Empress 
came  in,  bearing  in  her  uplifted  hands  two  burning  torches, 
and  she  beckoned  to  Prince  Zador:  "Come  out  to  the 
balcony,  handsome  Prince.  I  will  show  thee  a  sight  thou 
hast  never  seen."  And  she  held  the  flaming  torches  higher 
than  her  head,  till  their  red  glare  illumined  the  waters  of 
the  sleeping  lake,  and  the  swans,  whose  plumage  had  been 
white  in  the  morning  and  dark  in  the  day,  now  glared 
like  fire  and  blood,  as  if  they  were  dyed  by  the  hand 
of  a  murderer.  And  Prince  Zador  saw  a  stately  barge 
advance  on  the  waters,  and  in  that  barge  he  saw  himself 
in  glorious  attire  seated  by  the  side  of  a  tall  woman  whose 
visage  he  could  not  perceive.  And  he  held  her  hands,  and 
she  sang  to  him  till  they  reached  the  shore;  then  the 
Prince's  image  fell  to  the  ground,  for  the  tall  woman,  whose 
visage  remained  invisible,  had  stabbed  him  in  the  back  with 
a  long  dagger.  Zador  shuddered,  and  asked  the  insane 
Empress:  "Will  this  be  my  fate?"  She  answered:  "Yes. 
Hadst  thou  not  come  to  my  ivory  Palace,  thou  would'st 
have  walked  the  earth  unscared  by  the  awful  sight  of  the 
future.  Here  the  future  is  revealed  in  all  the  mirrors; 
things  that  will  be  one  day,  and  creatures  yet  unborn  or  in 
their  cradles  start  to  life.  Farewell,  Prince  Zador.  One 
word  yet — spare  thy  father  and  mother.  I  read  thy 
thoughts."    But  Prince  Zador  turned  his  back  upon  her, 


1 54  The  Emperor  and  the  Mouse. 

and  in  high  wrath  called  his  warriors  and  rode  away. 
She  is  insane,  thought  he,  and  what  I  gazed  upon  was 
only  clever  acting,  and  his  fearful  fate  did  not  stand  in  his 
way  that  night,  nor  in  any  succeeding  days. 

The  great  Emperor  and  the  sweet  Empress,  his  spouse, 
were  enjoying  the  evening  breeze  in  their  garden,  when 
an  affrighted  page  ran  to  tell  them  a  great  army  was  march- 
ing towards  the  palace,  and  the  sky  was  red  with  the  fires 
lit  by  their  torches  as  they  burnt  every  tree  and  every 
house  they  met.  The  great  Emperor  took  his  heavy  sword 
and  the  sweetEmpress  helped  him  to  close  the  girdle,  while 
he  said:  "Who  can  this  be?  What  unknown  chieftain? 
What  terrible  king?  I  had  no  enemy  till  this  time."  And 
the  great  Emperor  fought  with  all  his  warriors;  he  fought 
bravely  and  heartily,  and  victory  seemed  to  waver  and 
even  to  favour  him,  when  he  asked  one  of  the  assailants : 
"  Brave  warrior,  what  is  the  name  of  your  leader?"  And  the 
warrior  answered:  "  Thy  own  son,  Prince  Zador."  The 
great  Emperor  let  his  sword  fall,  and  said :  "  Take  me  a 
prisoner  to  your  chief."  And  the  warrior,  who  pitied  and 
blamed  Zador  in  his  heart,  accompanied  the  Emperor  to  the 
place  where  his  son  stood  on  a  fiery  horse, and  said:  "Prince 
Zador,  here  is  thy  father;  he  wishes  to  be  thy  prisoner.'' 
Without  deigning  to  address  a  word  to  the  unhappy 
Emperor,  the  Prince  said:  "Bring  me  the  Empress,  his 
spouse,  and  throw  them  both  in  the  darkest  prison  under 
the  palace  towers."  The  great  Emperor  said:  "One  favour 
must  I  ask  of  thee.   There  is  a  little  mouse  confined  in  a 


The  Emperor  and  the  Mouse,  1 5  5 

cage  above  the  golden  balcony;  give  the  small  mouse  her 
liberty  on  the  spot."  "Very  well,"  answered  Zador,  "  I  will 
have  thy  ten  kingdoms,  and  thy  palaces,  and  thy  gold, 
what  care  I  for  the  little  mouse  ? "  The  warriors  ran  to  the 
golden  balcony,  and  the  little  mouse  was  set  free.  The 
little  mouse  asked:  "Are  the  Emperor  and  the  Empress  in 
the  dark  dungeon  ?  "  and  the  warrior  answered,  "Yes,"  and 
wondered  how  such  a  little  mouse  could  guess  so  right. 
The  mouse  ran  nimbly  down  the  marble  steps,  and  when 
she  reached  the  last  step,  she  became  a  beautiful  maid,  and 
immediately  fell  asleep,  her  graceful  head  resting  on  the 
balustrade,  her  two  white  naked  feet  whiter  than  the 
marble  which  reflected  their  smallness.  Prince  Zador 
walked  proudly  through  his  father's  halls.  Never  had  he 
found  the  palace  where  he  was  born  so  vast  and  so  mag- 
nificent, never  had  he  so  enjoyed  its  splendour  as  in  the 
hour  of  his  sin.  And  he  said  to  his  warriors:  "  Drink,  and 
hold  high  revel  under  the  trees,  and  ascend  the  marble 
steps,  and  fill  the  palace  with  laughter  and  song."  He  said 
this  because  he  noticed  that  when  the  wind  rose  through  the 
open  windows,  he  heard  a  murmur  come,  and  he  recognized 
the  wailing  of  his  mother,  who  was  imprisoned  in  the  dark 
dungeon.  And  he  would  not  close  the  windows  nor  be 
suspected  of  remorse  or  fear.  The  warriors  obeyed;  they 
laughed  and  sang  and  wandered,  admiring  the  beauty  of 
the  halls,  when  all  at  once  Prince  Zador  heard  the  sound 
of  an  angry  quarrel,  and  soon  the  clash  of  swords.  He 
went  towards  the  place  whence  the  noise  came,  and  saw 


1 5  6  The  Emperor  and  the  Mouse. 

his  men  fighting  together  at  the  bottom  of  a  big  staircase, 
and  some  of  them  were  already  dead,  and  others  wounded, 
and  a  large  pool  of  blood  came  down  the  marble  steps. 
"  What 's  this,  my  brave  warriors  ? "  asked  the  Prince.  "  Are 
you  not  tired  of  swords  and  blood?  "  At  the  sight  of  their 
leader  they  shamefully  turned  away,  but  one  of  the  elderly 
warriors  took  the  Prince's  hand  and  pointed  to  the  place 
where  the  sleeping  maiden  lav.  "  There  's  the  cause  of  the 
mischief,  great  Prince,  and  she  sleeps  as  softly  as  in  her 
mother's  arms,  a  new-born  babe.  These  men  are  fighting 
for  this  girl."  Zador  felt  his  heart  stand  still.  Never  had 
he  seen  anything  more  graceful  and  more  beautiful  than 
this  young  and  innocent  creature,  with  her  bare  arms  and 
naked  feet;  and  the  pangs  of  jealousy  entered  his  soul. 
And  what  right  had  those  men  to  fight  for  her,  and  to 
gaze  upon  her  slumber  ?  He  knelt  by  her  side  and  tried  to 
awaken  her,  but  though  he  could  hear  her  gentle  breath, 
and  feel  her  hands  were  warm,  she  did  not  stir,  so  he  lifted 
her  softly  and  laid  her  on  a  rich  couch,  and  spent  his  day 
in  wonder  and  love  by  her  side.  Then,  as  night  drew  on, 
he  sighed  and  said  :  "Alas!  wilt  thou  never  open  thy  eyes 
and  let  me  hear  thy  sweet  voice  ?  "  And  from  the  depths  of 
her  sleep  the  maiden  said :  "  I  cannot  open  my  eyes  till  the 
great  Emperor  and  the  sweet  Empress,  his  spouse,  are 
seated  here  with  thee,  in  glorious  apparel."  And  the  Prince 
quailed  and  shuddered,  but  at  first  did  not  give  in.  Dawn 
found  him  still  staring  at  the  bewildering  beauty  of  the  un- 
known, and  he  shed  tears  on  her  white  hands  and  her  arms, 


The  Emperor  and  the  Mouse.  1 57 

and  said:  "Awake!  awake!  I  will  give  thee  my  love,  and 
magnificent  palaces,  and  hot-blooded  horses,  and  gorgeous 
belts  and  diadems.  I  will  give  thee  a  golden  barge  to  glide 
in  while  the  lake  glitters  in  the  moonshine.  I  will  give 
thee  all  my  kingdoms,  and  my  whole  heart.  Thou  art 
fairer  than  the  fairest  dream  of  a  fairy;  thou  art  sweeter 
than  the  scent  of  the  summer  flowers  and  the  little  green 
flower  of  the  basil  that  I  wear  in  my  cap  to  bring  me  luck. 
Awake,  or  else  I  will  sleep  for  ever."  And  again  she  mur- 
mured :  "  Call  the  great  Emperor  and  the  sweet  Empress 
back."  At  last  Zador  gave  in,  and  ordered  the  imperial 
couple  to  be  drawn  out  of  the  dark  dungeon  ;  he  bestowed 
gorgeous  garments  upon  them,  while  the  Emperor  and  the 
Empress  lifted  their  hearts  to  Heaven  in  fond  prayer, 
saying:  "  Our  son  has  recovered  his  senses."  They  came  in 
with  joyful  steps  and  words,  and  kissed  the  young  Prince's 
brow,  forgetting  all  they  had  endured  through  him,  and 
he  led  them  to  the  couch  where  the  beautiful  maiden  slept, 
and  the  sweet  Empress,  with  a  cry  of  tender  admiration, 
touched  the  sleeper's  bare  arm,  and  the  fair  girl  slowly 
opened  her  wide  blue  eyes — eyes  so  wide  and  so  blue, 
Prince  Zador  said  to  himself  he  had  never  gazed  upon 
such  a  broad  expanse  of  light.  And  she  spoke  and  said:  "I 
have  come  to  soothe  and  to  deliver,  and  now  I  must  be 
gone."  And  she  rose,  while  Zador  in  tears  kissed  the  hem 
of  her  floating  vestment  and  said:  a  O,  do  not  leave  me!  If 
thou  goest  I  will  become  wicked  again.  Now  I  feel  my 
heart  soften  like  grass  under  the  rain."    But  the  maiden 


i  5  8  The  Emperor  and  the  Mouse. 

smiled  and  said:  "  My  name  is  Slaava.  I  cannot  stay.  Dost 
thou  not  remember,  brave  Prince,  that  evening  in  the 
palace  of  the  insane  Empress,  and  the  woman  whose  face 
thou  didst  not  see?  /am  that  woman,  and  if  I  stayed  I 
would  be  obliged  to  accomplish  the  dictates  of  destiny, 
and  to  kill  thee  in  a  treacherous  way.  So  spare  me."  At 
this  Prince  Zador  remained  like  one  struck  by  a  thunder- 
bolt. Slaava  glided  away  from  their  presence,  and  he  did 
not  find  the  courage  to  raise  a  finger  and  to  stop  her. 
Seeing  his  grief,  the  Emperor  and  the  Empress  said:  "  Try 
to  forget  the  lovely  vision,  Zador.  Perhaps  she  was  not  a 
creature  of  this  earth.  She  perhaps  dwells  with  fairies. 
And  if  she  was  fated  to  kill  thee,  it  is  better  the  beautiful 
being  has  gone."  But  Prince  Zador  would  neither  eat  nor 
drink,  nor  taste  one  moment's  sleep.  And  he  assembled 
his  valiant  warriors  and  said  to  them:  "I  must  leave  ye. 
My  place  is  no  longer  among  those  who  live  in  mirth  or 
strife.  A  great  love  hath  entered  my  soul.  I  will  disap- 
pear, I  will  lose  myself  in  a  wide  forest  and  dream  of  my 
love."  And  he  gave  up  his  sword  into  the  care  of  his 
warriors,  and  kneeling  before  the  Emperor  he  said:  "  Great 
Emperor,  forgive  my  wrongs.  Thy  son  is  now  punished 
by  this  great  love,  which  devours  his  heart."  For  many  a 
year  Prince  Zador  was  heard  of  no  more.  The  wild 
beasts  alone  could  tell  the  trace  of  his  steps  and  the  sound 
of  his  voice.  He  had  built  himself  a  cell  made  of  branches, 
and  with  him  dwelt  a  small  mouse,  whom  he  had  caught 
the  very  first  night  he  spent  under  the  sky.  And  to  the 


The  TLmperor  and  the  Mouse.  159 

small  mouse  he  told  his  grief  and  spoke  of  his  love.  He 
felt  sure  the  mouse  was  a  good  fairy,  for  she  looked  at 
him  with  compassion  and  nestled  to  his  breast,  and  so 
much  was  Prince  Zador  taken  up  by  despair  and  fervour 
that  he  wondered  how  he  had  ever  found  the  time  long 
before  at  an  epoch  of  his  existence  when  he  lived  in  a 
perpetual  strain  and  ran  from  hunt  to  battle,  from  battle 
to  revel,  and  drank  off  the  cup  of  maddening  pleasure. 
Sometimes,  when  he  approached  the  road  where  men  and 
chariots  pass,  he  heard  warriors  gaily  trooping  by,  he 
heard  his  own  war-songs  sung  in  the  wind,  and  he  saw 
his  banners  float  between  the  trees.  He  even  heard  his 
faithful  equerries  say,  "Alas!  where  is  our  Prince,  the 
bravest  of  the  brave,  whose  helmet  shone  like  the  moon 
and  whose  blows  dealt  death  as  surely  as  the  cloud  gives 
rain  and  the  sun  gives  light?  "  But  for  these  things  there 
were  no  regrets  in  his  mind.  He  only  remembered  his 
days  of  wickedness,  and  how  he  had  plunged  his  father 
and  his  mother  in  the  darkness  of  a  dungeon,  and  how 
Slaava  had  gone  away  because  she  would  have  had  to 
bestow  his  punishment  upon  him.  One  night,  while  he 
was  as  usual  running  after  the  strange  maid  in  his  dreams, 
he  was  awakened  suddenly  by  the  roar  of  water  quite 
close  to  his  humble  couch.  Prince  Zador  sprung  up  be- 
wildered, and  when  he  tried  to  get  out  of  his  cell,  the 
water  rose  to  his  knees,  and  beyond  his  cell  the  forest  was 
but  one  vast  ocean,  where  the  tops  of  the  trees  seemed  to 
float.    How  he  had  escaped  being  drowned  Zador  could 


1 60  The  TLmperor  and  the  Mouse. 

not  guess.  He  set  to  work,  and  out  of  the  bark  of  a  big 
oak,  spared  by  the  flood,  he  made  a  barge  and  oars,  and 
soon  followed  the  current  that  bore  him  away.  In  his 
bosom  the  little  mouse  trembled,  and  they  were  taken  afar 
without  knowing  whither  they  went.  Sharp  rocks  from 
place  to  place  stood  out  of  the  waves,  and  soon  on  one  of 
these  rocks  Zador  perceived  a  female  form,  with  hands 
outstretched  asking  for  help.  He  recognized  the  woman 
he  had  seen  that  evening  from  the  balcony  of  the  insane 
Empress.  "So  Slaava  has  deceived  us," thought  Zador;  "this 
woman,  my  future  murderer,  is  not  the  beautiful  maid  I 
love.  I  know  she  will  kill  me,  I  know  the  hour  of  my 
death  has  come,  but  shall  I,  from  fear  of  that  hour,  leave 
a  woman  exposed  to  the  dreadful  flood?"  And  Prince 
Zador  steered  towards  the  rock  where  the  woman  still 
kept  her  attitude  of  supplication. 

Night  had  set  in,  so  he  saw  not  her  features  as  he  ap- 
proached, but  extended  a  friendly  hand,  and  said:  "  Come 
in  my  boat  and  rest."  She  descended  into  the  boat,  and  Zador 
had  already  taken  up  his  oars  to  row  away  when  the 
stranger  exclaimed:  "One  moment,  please;  I  have  forgotten 
my  dagger  on  the  rock.  I  cannot  be  without  my  dagger." 
"  So,"  thought  Zador,  "  the  dagger  is  there,  and  the  hand 
and  my  heart;  let  my  destiny  be  accomplished."  And  he 
stopped  again  beside  the  rock  and  the  woman  seized  her 
dagger;  then  came  towards  him  and  said:  "  How  brave  thou 
art,  my  love,  my  only  love !  Light  a  torch  and  gaze  on 
my  features,  and  what  thou  wilt  see  must  rejoice  thy  soul." 


The  Emperor  and  the  Mouse.  1 6 1 

And  Zador  hastily  lit  a  torch,  and  lo !  as  the  fire  fell  on 
the  stranger's  face,  he  recognized  Slaava,  and  sobbed  for 
joy,  and  exclaimed:  "Yes,  even  if  thou  art  come  to  kill, 
blessed  be  thou  for  thy  eyes,  and  thy  lips,  and  the  sweet- 
ness of  thy  presence."  "To  kill,"  answered  she,  and  threw 
the  dagger  into  the  water;  "to  kill,  no,  I  have  come  to 
love.  Thy  faults  are  erased,  thy  courage  hath  triumphed 
over  fate."  And  the  boat  bore  them  gently  to  the  steps 
of  the  Emperor's  palace,  and  then  Prince  Zador  was 
wedded  to  Slaava,  who  then  told  him  she  had  never  been 
absent  from  his  side,  as  she  was  the  dear  little  mouse  that 
nestled  in  his  bosom. 

By  a  monk  this  tale  was  told  who  dwelt  in  the  cell  made 
famous  by  the  legend  of  Prince  Zador^  andy  in  remembrance  of 
Slaava^  the  monk  always  kept  a  little  mouse  in  his  cell. 


M 


1 62       The  Legend  of  the  Lilac  Flower, 


THE  LEGEND  OF  THE  LILAC  FLOWER. 

The  lilac  flower  might  have  graced  the  summer  days 
and  blossomed  even  in  autumn,  but  the  lilac  flower  can 
bloom  one  short  month  only,  because  she  has  given  her- 
self away  to  save  her  beloved.  She  was  once  a  fresh  maid 
who  lived  on  the  border  of  a  forest  and  talked  to  the  birds 
and  the  bees;  she  drank  the  water  from  the  running 
stream,  and  twined  the  gentle  foliage  over  her  head  to 
avoid  the  hot  rays  of  the  noonday  sun.  One  evening  an 
old  woman  passed  before  the  place  where  Liliaca  dwelt. 
Liliaca  noticed  the  old  woman  looked  w£ary,  and  said : 
"  Wilt  thou  not  come  and  rest?  I  possess  a  small  hut  made 
of  the  gentle  foliage;  I  eat  fruit  and  drink  the  water  from 
the  stream,  but  I  can  give  thee  a  good  couch  and  a  sure 
shelter.  The  sky  darkens;  the  birds  are  hastening  to  their 
nests,  and  on  my  hand  already  a  moonray  hath  fallen.  It  is 
late."  The  old  woman  answered:  "Fair  girl,  I  thank  thee, 
and  must  accept  thy  kind  offer,  as  I  have  walked  many  a 
long  mile  and  I  am  very  old."  Liliaca  ran  to  get  fresh  fruit 
and  to  smooth  the  couch,  where  the  old  woman  now  sank 
to  a  profound  sleep.  But  Liliaca  never  slept  when  the 
moon  was  strong  in  the  sky,  but  gazed  at  the  moon  till 
her  eyes  ached;  once  or  twice  she  heard  the  old  woman 


The  Legend  of  the  Lilac  Flower.       163 

sigh  in  her  slumber,  and  as  dawn  approached,  and  as  the 
moon  got  feebler  and  became  gradually  only  a  white 
plume  lost  in  the  vapours  of  the  rising  sun,  Liliaca  in  her 
turn  closed  her  eyes  and  beckoned  to  her  innocent  dreams. 
No  sooner  had  Liliaca  become  insensible  to  all  that  passed 
around  than  the  old  woman  rose  and  said  to  herself:  "She 
is  too  fair  and  too  pure  to  serve  my  purpose.  Yet  she  may 
help  me  unwittingly,"  and  she  passed  her  fingers  over 
Liliaca' s  white  eyelids  and  over  her  lips.  Liliaca  sighed 
deeply,  moved  restlessly  in  her  sleep,  then  murmured: 
"Love,  my  love."  The  old  woman  said :  "All  right ! " — and 
the  sunbeams  in  their  morning  glory  invaded  the  forest. 
Liliaca  rose  in  haste.  "Pardon  me,"  said  she  to  her  guest, 
"I  have  overslept  myself.  I  had  such  a  lovely  dream,  but  I 
cannot  tell  you  what  my  dream  was.  I  wish  I  could  dream 
it  over  again  every  night."  The  old  woman  smiled,  and 
muttering  a  few  words  of  gratitude  disappeared.  All  that 
day  Liliaca  forgot  the  many  little  trifles  which  made  her 
life  cheerful,  and  though  the  wood  was  full  of  perfume 
and  song  she  went  not  into  the  wood,  but  throwing  herself 
on  her  couch  tried  to  sleep  in  the  vain  hope  of  seeing  the 
dream  she  loved  again.  But  the  dream  had  deserted  her 
sleep,  and  for  weeks  she  pined ;  the  colour  faded  from  her 
cheek,  she  lost  all  interest  in  birds  and  flowers,  and  often 
said:  "  O,  I  would  like  to  die!"  And  the  fair  maid  would 
indeed  have  gone  to  an  early  grave  but  for  a  happy  circum- 
stance which  changed  her  present  existence  completely. 
She  was  gathering  fruit  from  a  high  plum-tree  when  she 


164       The  Legend  of  the  Lilac  Flower. 

saw  between  the  branches  the  whiteness  of  the  road,  and 
along  the  road  a  chariot  jogged,  in  which  a  man  lay  in  a 
trance  or  asleep.  But  his  face  was  so  pale,Liliaca  thought  he 
was  dead.  A  poor  old  pilgrim  he  seemed  to  be,  with  a  worn- 
out,  haggard  visage,  and  a  pool  of  blood  round  his  body, 
and  his  mantle  was  red  with  blood.  u  Surely  some  one  has 
wounded  or  killed  the  poor  thing,"  said  Liliaca,  "  and  how 
comes  it  to  pass  he  should  be  left  there  alone  on  the  road, 
and  the  oxen  have  no  guide?  O,  I  must  see;  he  is  perhaps 
alive  yet,  and  needs  help."  She  tripped  lightly  to  the  side 
of  the  huge  chariot;  she  looked  into  the  face  of  the  wretched 
man;  she  stopped  the  oxen  in  their  walk;  she  touched  the 
poor  man's  heart,  and  under  her  soft  fingers  his  heart 
began  to  beat.  "He  is  not  dead,"  said  she,  and  in  her  feeble 
arms  she  took  him;  then  laid  him  tenderly  under  the  trees 
on  a  couch  of  tender  grass,  and  washed  his  wounds  and 
tended  him  marvellously  till  he  opened  his  eyes  and  said: 
"  Bless'd  be  thou,  fair  maid;  the  murderers  are  far  now  and 
I  am  in  Paradise/'  Liliaca  stayed  by  his  side  nor  ever  left 
him, and  the  moon  began  to  rise.  "O  gentle  maid,"  said  the 
wounded  man,  "  let  the  moon's  first  rays  fall  on  my  brow. 
Put  these  branches  away  that  I  may  catch  the  moon  and 
lay  her  light  against  my  hair  and  lips."  And  Liliaca  did  as 
she  was  bidden.  No  sooner  did  the  moonbeams  glide  on 
the  old  man's  face  and  hands  than  his  whole  countenance 
changed  and  he  became  a  handsome  youth  in  the  vigour 
and  pride  of  his  young  beauty,  and  though  his  wounds 
still  bled,  there  was  a  look  of  joy  in  his  eyes,  and  as  Liliaca 


The  Legend  of  the  Lilac  Flower.         165 

saw  him  she  exclaimed:  "  Dear  youth,  I  know  thee,  thou 
hast  already  visited  me  in  my  dreams.  But  why  art  thou 
condemned  to  wear  a  pilgrim's  garb  and  an  old  man's  visage 
during  the  daytime,  and  why  canst  thou  become  so  fair 
when  the  moon  shines  on  thee?"  The  young  man  did  not 
answer  this  question,  and  Liliaca  felt  she  had  been  in- 
discreet, and  she  loved  so  much  to  gaze  on  his  features, 
to  admire  his  glossy  hair,  his  demeanour,  his  lustrous  eyes 
and  his  lips  swollen  with  the  blood  of  valour  and  of  daring, 
that  she  prayed  in  her  heart  the  night  would  last  for  ever, 
for  the  sight  was  most  precious  to  her  heart. 

And  somehow  she  understood  this  young  man  would 
always  be  mingled  with  her  life,  or  else  she  would  not 
have  seen  him  in  her  dream,  nor  pined  after  the  return  of 
that  blissful  dream.  His  wounds  were  still  very  bad,  though 
Liliaca  tried  to  quench  the  blood  with  leaves  and  pure 
linen.  He  moaned  in  his  slumbers  and  pronounced  strange 
words;  she  could  not  know  to  what  language  they  be- 
longed, nor  from  what  land  he  came. 

With  the  daylight  he  resumed  his  withered  visage,  and 
Liliaca  then  spoke  more  freely,  and  again  questioned  him; 
he  answered :  "Alas !  I  am  an  Emperor's  son,  and  in  a  bad 
fight  with  some  enemies  of  my  father  I  killed  the  brother 
of  a  witch.  She  came  up  to  the  palace  and  said  she  wished 
to  speak  to  Prince  Oprea;  that  is  my  name.  I  thought  she 
was  poor,  and  took  some  gold  to  give  her,  but  as  soon  as 
she  saw  it  she  sprang  upon  me  and  stabbed  me  thrice,  and  as 
my  body  lay  almost  senseless  on  the  steps  of  the  palace, 


1 66       The  Legend  of  the  Lilac  Flower. 

as  no  one  was  near,  I  suppose  she  bore  me  away  and  threw 
me  in  the  chariot  thou  hast  seen,  and  also  threw  a  spell 
upon  me.  In  the  light  of  day  I  am  an  old  man,  and  only  as 
the  moon  rises  can  I  become  Prince  Oprea  again.  So  I  dare 
not  return  to  the  palace  of  my  father,  nor  show  myself  to 
my  dear  bride,  Princess  Thisca,  and  she  must  believe  I  am 
dead."  "Ah ! "  said  Liliaca,  "  thou  hast  a  bride ! "  "Yes,  the 
fairest  girl  upon  earth,  and  she  would  die  to  save  me.  O  my 
wounds  would  cure  could  but  Thisca  hear  that  I  am  alive." 
"  I  will  go  to  tell  her,"  said  Liliaca.  And  tying  her  belt 
close  to  her  breaking  heart  she  set  off  with  quick  pace,  as 
she  desired  to  return  before  evening  and  behold  Prince 
Oprea  in  his  glory  once  more.  On  her  way  to  the  palace 
she  met  the  old  woman  who  had  spent  a  night  in  her  hut. 
The  old  woman  greeted  her  warmly,  and  Liliaca  told  her 
all  about  Prince  Oprea's  strange  adventure.  The  old 
woman  then  said:  "I  am  the  bad  witch  who  thus  punished 
the  Prince  for  having  killed  my  only  brother.  He  will 
never  recover  his  own  visage  during  the  daylight  unless 
an  innocent  maid  gives  up  her  life  for  him ;  not  her  whole 
life,  I  mean,  but  she  must  promise  to  disappear  during  the 
summer,  the  autumn  and  the  winter,  to  lie  invisible  and 
in  deep  slumber.  Spring  time  will  belong  to  her  entirely." 
Liliaca  said:  "Prince  Oprea  is  betrothed  to  the  beautiful 
Princess  Thisca.  Surely  she  will  give  up  three  seasons  of 
the  year  for  him," — and  with  double  haste  she  pursued  her 
way.  Princess  Thisca  was  winding  her  golden  hair  round 
a  diamond  comb  when  the  simple  maid  entered  her  bower, 


The  Legend  of  the  Lilac  Flower.       167 

and  in  a  few  brief  words  told  her  of  Prince  Oprea's  fate 
and  of  the  witch's  proposition.  "He  lies  on  a  bed  of  foliage 
near  my  hut.  His  wounds  are  numerous,  and  his  blood 
makes  the  grass  warm  all  around.  He  murmurs  thy  name 
in  his  dreams.  He  is  so  handsome  during  the  night,  and  so 
wretched  during  the  day."  Her  young  heart  trembled 
with  hidden  love,  and  she  stretched  out  her  lovely  arms 
towards  the  Prince's  happy  bride.  Princess  Thisca  drew 
the  folds  of  her  white  garment  around  her.  "Tell  the 
Prince,"  said  she,  "I  would  fain  go  to  him,  but  the  grass  is 
wet  and  my  garment  white.  Tell  the  Prince  I  would  fain 
send  him  a  lock  of  my  golden  hair,  but  I  have  lost  my 
scissors,  and  my  hair  is  so  thick  and  my  teeth  so  delicate 
that  I  cannot  bite  them  through.  Tell  the  Prince  I  would 
fain  give  him  a  bride's  long  kiss,  but  his  lips  must  be  cold, 
or  his  lips  must  be  hot,  and  my  lips  are  afraid  of  fever  and 
blood.  Tell  the  Prince  I  would  fain  save  him  from  his 
dire  fate  and  give  up  three  seasons  of  the  year  for  him,  but 
in  summer  I  dance  to  please  the  roses,  in  autumn  I  twine 
vine  leaves  round  my  neck  to  please  the  sun,  and  in  winter 
I  sit  by  the  fire  to  please  the  gentle  flame  dear  to  the 
heart  of  rich  and  poor.  How  would  the  sun,  the  roses  and 
the  flame  do  without  me?  "  Fair  Liliaca  sighed  and  said  : 
"  Were  I  his  bride  I  would  lie  in  my  grave  and  be  trampled 
upon  by  the  fiery  horses  of  his  warriors  to  save  him." 
Princess  Thisca  laughed:  "Thou  simple  maid,"  said  she,and 
waved  her  hand  in  sign  of  adieu,  and  began  to  twist  again 
her  golden  hair  round  her  diamond  comb.   Liliaca  returned 


1 68       The  Legend  of  the  Lilac  Flower, 

to  the  forest,  and  the  moon  now  shone  full  on  Prince 
Oprea's  handsome  face.  She  knelt  by  him  and  said:  "Thy 
bride  loves  thee,  Prince.  And  she  will  save  thee."  And  in 
his  joy  Prince  Oprea  kissed  Liliaca's  soft  hands,  and  she 
felt  the  kiss  that  was  on  her  hands  dart  straight  across  her 
soul.  Next  day  she  went  to  find  the  witch  and  said:  "I 
give  up  three  seasons  of  the  year  to  save  Prince  Oprea.  I 
will  sleep  like  a  corpse  during  the  summer  and  the  autumn 
and  the  winter  and  be  invisible,  but  give  him  back  his  joy 
and  his  fair  visage."  The  witch  answered:  "Alas  !  love  is 
stronger  than  my  power;  I  thought  I  would  never  find  a 
woman  to  do  this,  but  since  thou  art  ready  to  save  Prince 
Oprea  I  must  obey  thy  wish.  Yet  thou  hast  given  me  shelter 
and  pitied  me  in  an  hour  of  weariness  and  need.  I  will 
change  thee  into  a  fair  flower — in  spring  days  only  will  thy 
smile  and  thy  freshness  appeal  to  the  heart  of  man  and 
make  him  happy,  and  lead  the  young  to  dream  of  love  and 
the  old  to  remember  their  youthful  days."  And  as  the 
witch  spoke  thus  Liliaca  felt  she  became  a  gentle  bough 
of  green  foliage,  and  she  became  a  fair  flower  whose  clusters 
were  wild  with  perfume  and  joy.  She  instantly  forgot  Prince 
Oprea  and  his  bride,  the  joy  of  the  perfume  that  filled  her 
soul  and  the  joy  that  hung  over  her  were  almost  too  much 
for  her  senses.  Prince  Oprea  returned  to  his  palace  and 
married  his  beautiful  Princess,  but  under  the  window  of 
their  bower  a  lilac-tree  grew,  whose  flowers  in  spring  sent 
an  odour  so  strong  that  Prince  Oprea  grew  sad ;  he  then 
remembered  Liliaca,  the  maid  of  the  forest,  and  said  to 


THie  Legend  of  the  Lilac  Flower.       169 

himself:  "Where  is  she?  She  was  fairer  than  Thisca,  and  so 
good.  I  will  never  see  her  again."  And  Prince  Oprea 
covered  his  handsome  face  with  his  hands,  while  the  lilac 
flowers  waved  to  and  fro  and  murmured:  "Liliaca  has  loved 
thee,  but  rejoice,  she  is  happy ;  she  is  wild  with  perfume 
and  love."  And  because  of  the  lilac-tree  Princess  Thisca 
violently  closed  the  windows.  "I  love  not  the  ways  of  that 
flower  \  'tis  well  it  blooms  in  spring  only,  or  else  I  would 
have  that  tree  cut  down." 

This  tale  was  told  by  a  girl  who  wore  lilac  flowers  in  her 
hair^  and  a  sprig  of  lilac  in  her  belt^  and  who  thought  of 
Liliaca  and  Liliaca'' s  love  while  she  drank  their  wild  perfume. 


170  The  Two  Robbers  and 


THE  TWO  ROBBERS  AND  THEIR  BROTHER 
THE  DEVIL. 

Two  robbers  lived  not  far  from  a  big  city.  They  were  not 
wicked,  and  never  killed,  but  when  rich  merchants  passed 
at  night  on  their  horses  they  stepped  to  the  side  of  the 
road  and  said  courteously :  "  Sir,  will  you  kindly  alight 
and  take  supper  with  us?  We  are  the  famous  robbers, 
Damian  and  Peter."  The  poor  merchant  trembled,  and  in 
general  both  invitations  were  declined.  Then  Damian,  who 
spoke  better  than  his  brother,  said  even  more  politely  :  "  If 
you  are  neither  hungry  nor  thirsty,  nor  tired,  surely  your 
horse  must  feel  the  want  of  food  and  water,  and  you  could 
not  deprive  the  honest  brute  of  our  hospitality,  and  surely 
the  load  you  have  put  on  the  honest  creature's  back  is  too 
heavy  for  him.  We  could  not  allow  you  to  torture  your 
horse  in  this  way."  And  the  merchant  had  to  give  in,  as 
the  glitter  of  a  knife  accompanied  the  reasonable  words  of 
Damian.  The  horse  was  taken  to  a  fresh  litter,  the  goods  to 
the  robbers'  den,  and  the  merchant,  well  pleased  to  get  off, 
resumed  his  journey  on  foot,  while  the  two  brothers  made 
him  all  kinds  of  good  wishes  he  was  obliged  to  thank  them 
for.  So  clever  were  Damian  and  Peter  that  for  years  every 


their  Brother  the  Devil.  iji 

attempt  to  catch  them  had  been  unsuccessful,  and  some- 
times they  were  themselves  astonished  at  their  good  luck. 
"I  am  afraid,"  said  Peter  to  his  brother,  "  the  devil  must  in 
some  way  approve  us,  and  even  help  us  in  our  enterprise." 
"Hush,  brother,"  answered  Damian,  "  if  I  thought  this  I 
would  take  our  adventurous  life  quite  in  disgust.  No,  no, 
the  devil  is  far  from  us.  What  harm  do  we  do?  The 
things  we  take  away  from  these  men  are  but  material 
goods,  and  in  the  long  run  they  would  harm  their  pos- 
sessors— the  wealthy  easily  get  proud  and  hard-hearted ;  we 
save  these  people  from  the  worst  sins;  we  teach  them  the 
frailty  of  Dame  Fortune,  and  we  keep  their  souls  as  pure 
as  might  the  preaching  of  any  good  pulpit  bird."  To  this 
speech  Peter  found  no  reply,  but  he  kept  dreaming  of  the 
devil,  and  saying  to  himself:  "  I  would  like  to  know  the 
old  fellow j  how  clever  he  must  be,  since  we  are  more 
and  more  clever  because  he  stands  by  us.  Damian  is 
wrong.  Our  tricks  are  rich  with  the  devil's  knowledge." 
And  with  these  and  many  other  reflections  of  the  same 
sort  he  went  into  the  wood  to  gather  mushrooms  for 
their  supper.  He  passed  under  the  trees  bent  on  his  task, 
his  young  face  glowing  in  the  sun,  when  all  at  once  he 
heard  a  shrill  laugh  behind  the  boughs;  he  started  and 
asked  :  "Who  is  there?  "  No  answer  came;  a  few  seconds 
elapsed,  and  again  the  weird  sound  struck  his  ear,  and 
came  quite  close  to  him  now.  An  elf,  a  spirit,  or  the 
devil  himself,  thought  Peter,  and  as  the  word  devil  flashed 
through  his  mind,  he  saw  a  beautiful  girl,  dressed  in  a  blue 


172  The  Two  Robbers  and 

gown,  and  with  silver  earrings  in  her  ears,  stand  in  front 
of  him.  "  Here  I  am,"  she  said,  "  I  am  the  devil."  «  O, 
how  can  that  be?"  said  Peter,  "a  maid  so  fair  hide  the 
devil  himself  behind  her  smile?  I  will  never  believe  thee." 
"  No!  how  then  have  I  read  thy  thoughts  and  divined  thy 
wish  to  know  me?  Thou  art  a  good  lad,  Peter,  and  thou 
hast  done  me  some  justice,  whereas  thy  brother  Damian, 
who  will  not  credit  me  with  his  cleverness,  will  pay  a  heavy 
forfeit  for  his  foolish  language."  "Please,  Mr.  Devil,  or 
Miss  Demon,"  said  poor  Peter,  folding  his  hands  in  contri- 
tion and  fear,  u  do  not  heed  my  brother  Damian ;  he  speaks 
rashly,  but  means  well.  We  are  two  such  honest  robbers, 
and  we  achieve  all  our  business  with  hands  as  pure  as  our 
hearts."  "I  will  not  kill  him,  but  suffer  he  must,  and  as 
thou  would'st  be  likely  to  prate  about  all  this,  Peter,  I 
order  thy  lips  and  thy  tongue  to  become  as  dumb  as  the 
mushrooms  in  thy  basket."  Peter  tried  to  implore  again, 
and  to  his  great  terror  he  found  his  mouth  could  utter 
nothing  but  unintelligible  sounds,  and  besides  the  fiendish 
damsel  had  disappeared,  while  the  same  shrill  laugh  filled 
the  forest,  and  made  all  the  trees  around  him  shiver. 
Alas !  how  should  he  tell  Damian  of  his  horrible  adven- 
ture, how  put  him  on  his  guard  ?  Peter  knew  not  how  to 
read  and  write;  so  he  took  a  big  mushroom,  and  with  his 
knife  cut  into  the  soft  brown  flesh  the  face  of  the  beautiful 
maid,  and  over  it  he  cut  the  form  of  a  big  flame  to  figure 
the  devil.  Sore  was  Damian's  grief  when  he  discovered  his 
brother's  misfortune;  he  shed  tears  of  despair,  and  asked 


their  Brother  the  Devil.  173 

in  vain  to  learn  what  had  happened.  Peter  gave  him  the 
mushroom  with  the  wicked  girl's  pretty  face  upon  it,  and 
Damian  then  believed  he  understood  that  love  had  played 
havoc  with  poor  Peter;  the  big  flame  meant  his  burning 
feelings  for  the  young  girl,  and  Damian  thought  her  very 
lovely  indeed,  and  did  not  wonder  that  a  man  could  lose 
the  use  of  his  tongue  from  sheer  admiration  of  such  a 
winning  visage.  Their  life  was  no  longer  gay,  as  Peter 
could  not  speak,  nor  could  Damian  love  to  confide  his 
plans  to  one  who  never  answered  but  by  signs.  Weeks 
flew  away  as  rapidly  as  days,  and  in  his  soul  Peter  felt 
some  relief  to  see  the  devil  had  not  kept  his  infernal  pro- 
mise. "  The  devil  has  too  much  to  do  with  the  world  at 
large;  he  must  have  forgotten  us  by  this  time,  and  O, 
could  I  regain  the  use  of  my  tongue,  I  would  not  breathe 
a  word  of  the  whole  tale."  "Damian,  thou  should'st  go 
to  the  fair,"  said  Damian  aloud.  Now  he  spoke  to  himself 
for  the  pleasure  of  hearing  his  own  voice.  Peter,  as  usual, 
sat  absorbed  in  a  vague  dream,  but  they  had  robbed  three 
priests  and  a  rich  widow  the  night  before,  and  they  were 
content  and  eager  to  exchange  the  priest's  golden  chains 
and  the  widow's  rings  for  a  winter  mantle,  new  knives, 
and  a  small  image  of  the  Virgin.  This  last  purchase 
seemed  to  Peter  absolutely  necessary,  and  he  insisted  on 
the  necessity  of  buying  the  holy  emblem,  as  he  was  still 
in  fear  of  the  devil.  Damian  returned  from  the  fair  late 
in  the  night,  and  Peter  rose  with  a  lantern  to  guide  his 
brother's  horse  through  the  intricacies  of  the  forest.    As 


174  The  Two  Robbers  and 

he  lifted  up  his  light  he  saw  the  horse  was  so  laden  that 
the  animal  could  scarcely  walk.  "  Why,  brother,  thou 
hast  brought  all  the  fair,"  said  Peter,  but  his  tongue  could 
not  articulate  the  words,  yet  Damian  understood  his  mean- 
ing. "  Most  unexpected  goods  have  I  purchased,  brother ; 
look !  "  And  then  only  Peter  perceived  across  the  saddle 
the  form  of  a  young  priest,  whose  face  and  floating  green 
garments  were  covered  with  blood.  Terror-stricken  Peter 
stood,  and  the  lantern  fell  to  the  ground  as  his  arms  and 
his  whole  body  trembled,  for  he  was  afraid  Damian  had 
done  some  foul  deed  by  this  wounded  man.  But  Damian 
reassured  him.  "  I  found  this  wretched  being  three  miles 
from  here,  gasping  for  breath  and  begging  hard  for  a  glass 
of  water.  I  alighted  and  gave  him  water  from  a  neigh- 
bouring well;  then  he  said  in  broken  sentences  one  of  his 
enemies  had  met  him  in  the  dark  and  dealt  these  hard 
blows  on  him,  and  he  could  not  return  to  his  village  in 
this  state,  because  his  home  is  very  distant,  and,  besides, 
his  mother  and  his  sister,  with  whom  he  lives,  would  die 
with  grief  at  the  mere  sight  of  him.  How  could  I  leave 
the  young  priest  on  the  road?  I  have  not  bought  that 
image  of  the  Virgin ;  somehow  it  was  driven  out  of  my 
mind,  but  this  good  action  will  serve  us  as  well  as  the 
Holy  Mother's  sweet  presence."  Peter  nodded  and  pressed 
his  brother's  hand;  then  they  laid  the  wounded  man  in  the 
hut,  dressed  his  wounds,  and  wrapped  him  in  a  fur  mantle. 
Damian,  as  he  thought  the  young  priest  was  asleep,  told 
Peter  all  the  pieces  of  good  luck  that  had  befallen  him. 


their  Brother  the  Devil.  175 

These  were  numerous   indeed.     "I  have  brought  the 
priest's  chain  and  the  widow's  ring  back,  and  yet  I  have 
a  long  red  mantle  for  thee  and  a  white  one  for  myself, 
and  four  knives  with  scabbards  that  shine  like  gold.   Every 
one  in  the  fair  was  drunk  but  myself,  and  I  pretended  to 
be  more  drunk  than  the  rest  and  to  fall  to  the  ground,  and 
to  grope  along  like  a  blind  man,  though  all  the  time  I 
held  a  good  eye  on  my  horse.    But  as  the  merchants  saw 
me  in  such  a  state  of  stupidity  they  paid  no  attention  to 
me  when  I  asked  them  to  show  me  their  goods,  and  turned 
their  backs  upon  me  and  looked  to  the  other  customers, 
but,  as  I  tell  you,  they  were  drunk.    So  I  just  crept  behind 
the  stalls  and  played  the  merchant  myself.    In  the  crowd 
no  one  noticed  that  after  I  praised  the  red  mantle  or  the 
beautiful   knife  I  paid  them  the   lasting  compliment  of 
bearing  them  away ;   moreover,  I  had  been  so  fussy  over 
them,  so  eager  to  sell  them,  some  believed  I  bore  them  to 
another  stall.    In  short,  the  day  has  been  an  excellent  one. 
Brother,  the  sole  idea  of  buying  the  Holy  Virgin's  image 
has  brought  us  this  wealth,  and  now  here  we  are  entertain- 
ing a  holy  man,  a  priest;  look  at  him,  he  is  saying  his 
prayers."    The  young  priest  was  wide  awake  and  made 
strange  gestures  with  his  hands.   Damian  said:  "Father, 
you  mean  to  cross  yourself,  but  that  is  not  exactly  the  sign 
of  the  cross  you  are  making."    "  I  know,"  answered  the 
priest.    "My  hands  are  too  weak,  and,  besides,  unworthy 
to  trace  the  sacred  emblem  on  my  heart."  Then  he  drew 
from  his  belt  a  large  yellow  kerchief  and  opened  it,  and 


176  The  Two  Robbers  and 

the  kerchief  was  full  of  golden  coins,  and  they  rolled  on 
his  couch  and  on  the  earth  with  a  sound  of  laughter,  and 
Damian  said  to  Peter  in  a  low  voice:  "The  temptation 
is  sore,  but  the  man  is  our  host  and  wounded ;  we  will  not 
touch  one  single  piece  of  his  gold.'' 

They  carefully  picked  up  each  coin  and  did  not  rest  till 
all  the  gold  was  put  back  in  the  priest's  yellow  kerchief, 
and  the  priest  said:  "Ye  are  honest  chaps.  I  will  remem- 
ber Peter  and  Damian  in  every  one  of  my  prayers."  To 
their  great  astonishment  the  brothers  perceived  that  at 
every  place  where  the  gold  coins  had  fallen  there  remained 
a  red  lurid  light,  at  which  they  got  rather  frightened,  but 
the  priest  said  to  them:  "Go  and  rest  in  peace;  this 
money  has  been  gained  in  church  and  by  the  bedside  of 
the  dying;  it  is  divine  money,  and  cannot  fall  without 
leaving  a  trace  of  its  divinity."  Satisfied  with  this  explan- 
ation, Peter  and  Damian  stretched  their  mantles  on  the 
ground,  lay  down  upon  them,  and  went  to  sleep.  The 
young  priest  stayed  with  them  eight  days,  during  which 
time  his  demeanour  and  his  words  were  most  touching,  and 
his  saintly  presence  seemed  to  have  thrilled  all  the  forest 
around  and  called  every  object  to  life.  The  flowers  whose 
blooming  season  had  passed  blossomed  again;  the  new- 
mown  grass  took  root  on  the  very  stem  from  which  it  had 
been  broken;  cherries  and  plums  appeared  at  the  same 
time  in  the  cherry-trees  and  the  plum-trees ;  fruit  gave  a 
perfume  as  strong  as  the  scent  of  wild  flowers,  and  as  to 
the  flowers  themselves  their  beauty  and   their  colour  in- 


their  Brother  the  Devil,  177 

creased  to  such  a  degree,  they  seemed  to  look  up  to  the 
trees  and  the  sky  with  such  a  passionate  gaze  that  Peter 
and  Damian  felt  their  veins  glow  when  they  breathed  the 
early  wind  and  said :  "  This  is  a  second  Paradise."  The 
stream  sang  to  its  pebbles  strange  songs  and  the  pebbles 
burnt  under  the  water  like  a  throbbing  heart.  The  stars 
as  they  touched  the  green  crests  of  the  hills  kissed  them 
with  fiery  kisses  and  the  sun  was  one  great  torrent  of  joy 
over  the  joy  of  nature  and  her  beauty. 

Damian  felt  happy  at  this  wonderful  change,  but  Peter 
got  restless  in  his  heart  and  said  to  himself:  "  There  must 
be  some  devil's  work  in  all  that  now  takes  place  around 
us,  because  to  the  souls  whom  the  love  of  God  makes 
radiant  such  excessive  luxury  is  not  needed;  the  man  who 
possesses  God  does  not  expect  any  other  bliss,  nor  is  he 
placed  in  conditions  to  find  it."  But  he  could  not  speak 
his  thoughts,  and  in  order  to  soothe  his  feelings  he  went 
near  a  large  oak-tree  and  with  his  knife  began  to  carve  the 
image  of  the  Virgin  in  the  strong  wood.  He  remembered 
well  the  divine  features,  but  to  his  dismay,  when  he  had 
finished  his  work,  he  saw  the  face  bore  a  striking  resem- 
blance to  the  fearful  maid  with  the  blue  mantle  who  had 
told  him  she  was  the  devil. — The  young  priest  at  last  said: 
"  I  must  return  to  my  home,  and  I  will  leave  my  gold  with 
you,  as  I  am  still  weak  and  unable  to  carry  such  a  load.  I 
know  you  are  honest,  so  I  have  not  counted  the  golden 
coins.  I  will  send  my  sister  to  fetch  the  yellow  kerchief 
and  its  contents  in  eight  days."    And  with  many  warm 

N 


178  The  Two  Robbers  and 

words  of  gratitude  he  was  gone.  As  soon  as  he  had  left 
Damian  said:  "Brother, we  will  not  take  this  man's  wealth 
from  him,  but  his  gold  possesses  the  strange  gift  of  leaving 
red  light  on  the  ground  wherever  it  falls ;  this  may  be  of 
the  greatest  use  to  us  and  serve  us  to  trace  our  way  back 
at  night,  and  replace  a  lantern.  Let  us  put  a  piece  of 
our  money  in  the  kerchief  and  take  one  of  the  priest's  in- 
stead." At  first  by  gesture  Peter  protested,  but  then  he 
thought  Damian's  desire  was  very  innocent  indeed,  and  he 
let  him  have  his  own  way.  Damian  got  the  coin  he  coveted, 
and  was  so  amused  with  it  that  he  spent  almost  the  whole 
night  to  mark  the  forest  with  red  traces  of  its  fall. 

A  week  had  elapsed  since  the  priest's  departure  when 
his  sister  came  on  a  black  horse  and,  without  alighting, 
asked  for  the  gold  her  brother  had  left  behind  him.  She 
had  long  fair  locks  and  green  eyes,  and  when  she  smiled 
her  teeth  shone  between  her  lips  like  a  cluster  of  wild 
lilies.  Damian  insisted  much  on  her  coming  to  their  hut, 
but  she  refused  and  bowed  her  head  to  them,  and  as  long 
as  the  gallop  of  her  horse  was  heard  among  the  trees  he 
listened j  then  he  said:  "Peter,  that  girl  has  taken  my 
heart  with  her  on  her  black  horse — I  must  follow  and  find 
her,"  and  before  Peter  could  protest  he  was  off  on  his 
chestnut  mare  he  had  stolen  from  a  rich  farmer  while  the 
latter  was  asleep.  The  next  day  Damian  returned  haggard 
and  worn.  He  had  gone  to  the  village  where  the  priest 
had  said  he  dwelt,  but  no  priest  of  that  name  lived  there, 
and  the  two  brothers  were  in  sore  perplexity,  and  Damian 


their  Brother  the  DeviL  179 

could  do  nothing  else  but  sigh.  The  autumn  came ;  they 
led  the  same  existence,  but  sadness  had  set  upon  them, 
what  with  Peter's  tied  tongue  and  Damian's  unhappy 
love;  even  the  old  game  seemed  to  have  fallen  off,  and 
the  fine  mantles  and  carved  whips  they  took  from  the 
passers-by  brought  them  no  pleasure.  A  feeling  of  impend- 
ing misfortune  grew  upon  them.  And  at  last  one  night  the 
men  from  the  neighbouring  town  found  their  way  to  the 
brothers'  hut,  and,  headed  by  the  beautiful  maid  whom 
Damian  had  sought  in  vain,  took  hold  of  him  and  of  his 
brother  and  led  them  both  to  prison.  The  maid  had  no 
difficulty  to  show  one  of  the  priest's  golden  coins  had 
been  robbed,  as  it  was  found  in  Damian's  belt.  From  jail 
they  went  before  the  judge,  and  their  case  was  found  to 
be  such  a  bad  one  that  they  were  condemned  to  cut  salt 
in  the  mines  for  ten  years,  where  they  would  never  look 
upon  the  dear  light  of  the  sun.  Damian  said  when  he 
heard  his  sentence:  "O  ye  wicked  men,  what  have  we 
taken  away  from  you  but  earthly  goods  which  money  can 
purchase  ?  and  now  ye  take  from  us  a  thing  no  one  but  God 
can  give — the  blessed  light  of  the  sun."  Into  the  white 
mine  they  descended,  and  their  chains  clinked  so  as  to  re- 
mind them  at  first  of  the  cattle-bells  in  the  woods,  but 
afterwards  they  well  knew  it  was  the  murmur  of  their 
chains — a  dreary,  monotonous  sound  they  would  have  to 
hear  for  days  and  days,  and  months  and  months,  and 
years  and  years.  The  whiteness  of  the  mine  made  their 
senses  sick,  and  the  cutting  taste  of  the  salt  bruised  their 


1 80      The  Two  Robbers  and  the  Devil. 

lips.  From  time  to  time  a  fellow-sufferer  spoke  to  them 
in  a  low  voice:  "  I  have  been  here  twenty  years,  and  here 
shall  I  finish  my  life — I  have  killed  a  man  because  he 
hated  me  and  had  killed  my  horse.  We  were  very  unfor- 
tunate here,  all  of  us.  But  now  the  devil  has  come,  and  we 
are  happy."  "Where's  the  devil?"  asked Damian.  "There, 
that  man  who  works  like  the  others.  He  is  the  devil.  Look! 
the  salt  glows  like  fire  under  his  pickaxe.  He  gives  us 
wine  and  money."  Damian  went  straight  to  the  man,  who 
nodded  familiarly,  and  Damian  said:  "Pardon  me,  I  hear 
you  are  the  devil.  I  would  rather  you  were  some  mes- 
senger of  God,  but  since  we  have  no  choice  I  would  like  to 
be  friends  with  you."  "  O,"  said  the  devil,  "  I  have  known 
thee  a  long  time.  I  have  slept  under  thy  roof  and  shown 
thee  my  money,  and  I  have  taken  thy  heart  away  on  the 
black  horse,  for  I  was  the  young  priest  and  the  fair  maid, 
and  I  have  brought  thee  here.  Dost  now  believe  in  my 
power,  young  fool?  Thy  brother  is  mute  by  my  will.  Don't 
doubt  again;  Iexist."  "Yes,"  said  Damian,  "I  doubt.  And 
no,  I  don't  believe  in  thee,  for  thou  hast  not  been  able  to 
take  away  from  my  soul  the  conviction  that  thy  works 
are  foul  and  the  works  of  God  are  good."  No  sooner  had 
Damian  said  these  words  than  with  a  great  crash  the  whole 
mine  vanished,  and  he  found  himself  in  his  hut  with  Peter, 
and  Peter,  who  had  recovered  the  use  of  his  tongue,  ex- 
claimed: "Brother,  it  was  perhaps  wrong  to  steal  these 
people's  goods ;  we  must  choose  another  work  and  bless 
God." 


The  Stolen  Pig,  181 


THE  STOLEN  PIG. 

Two  tziganes,  two  famous  thieves,  Neagoe  and  Barbu 
by  name,  one  night  crept  stealthily  along  the  hedge  of  a 
neighbouring  farm  and  succeeded  in  getting  a  small  pig, 
whose  screams  they  stifled  by  wrapping  the  noisy  creature 
in  the  folds  of  a  big  mantle.  Though  dogs  barked  and  the 
farmer  and  his  servants  ran  to  overtake  the  robbers,  Neagoe 
and  Barbu  soon  got  safely  under  the  shelter  of  a  wood. 
The  pig  gave  them  great  satisfaction,  but  it  was  very 
small,  and  Neagoe  said:  "Now  to  whom  does  the  little 
thing  belong?  "  Barbu  answered:  "  True,  friend,  we  have 
run  the  same  risks,  we  both  deserve  one  half  of  the  profit." 
"Yes,"  retorted  Neagoe,"  but  the  half  of  such  a  pig  would  be 
no  profit  at  all.  One  of  us  must  get  the  whole  pig."  "And 
the  other  be  wronged ! "  said  Barbu.  "  This  I  will  not  suffer. 
We  are  honest  fellows.  I  propose  an  excellent  plan ;  let 
us  tie  the  pig  to  a  tree  and  then  go  to  sleep  and  try  to 
dream.  We  will  relate  our  dreams  to  each  other  the  next 
morning,  and  the  pig  will  belong  to  the  one  who  has  had 
the  fairest  dream."  "  Right,"  answered  Neagoe.  And  they 
tied  the  pig  to  a  tree,  and  laying  their  mantles  on  the 
ground  fell  both  into  a  deep  sleep.  The  night  was  balmy, 
the  little  pig  had  ceased  to  whine,  so  they  could  sleep  in 


1 82  "The  Stolen  Pig. 

peace.  When  the  sun  rose  up  started  the  honest  tziganes  and 
rubbed  their  eyes  and  stared  at  each  other.  Then  Neagoe 
said  toBarbu:  "Friend,  as  thou  art  the  eldest  speak  first, 
and  tell  me  thy  dream."  "O,"  said  Barbu,  "  haven't  I  made 
a  splendid  dream !  I  am  still  dazzled  by  its  magnificence, 
and  I  can  hardly  realize  it  is  all  over  and  was  naught  but 
a  dream ;  so  listen,  dear  Neagoe."  And  Neagoe  put  both 
his  hands  round  his  knees  and  said :  "  Speak,  dear  Barbu, 
I  listen."  "  Well,"  said  Barbu,  "  I  dreamt  I  had  been  long 
dead,  not  of  some  stupid  vulgar  death  as  mortals  daily  die, 
but  a  death  so  sweet,  so  charming!  I  thought  I  was  drunk, 
like  on  that  night  at  the  fair  when  four  men  could  not 
carry  me  back  to  my  hut.  An  angel,  with  wings  as  bright 
as  the  fire  when  our  bellows  blows,  came  to  me  and  said: 
c  Master  Barbu,  thou  art  too  meanly  dressed.  Thou  art 
going  to  meet  a  great  lord  and  dine  with  him  and  with 
his  guests.  It  suits  thee  not  to  wear  thy  brown  mantle 
and  thy  leather  girt.'  I  answered  :  ' Master  Angel,  tzigane 
is  poor  after  death  as  he  was  in  life ;  I  possess  but  this 
mantle  and  this  leather  belt.'  The  angel  said  :  'Master 
Barbu,  we  all  know  in  Heaven  what  an  honest  tzigane 
thou  wast  on  the  other  side  of  the  grave,  never  stealing 
by  moonlight,  nor  during  the  days  when  the  Virgin  and 
the  higher  saints  are  honoured;  so  here  is  thy  reward.'  O 
Neagoe,  the  angel  put  a  magnificent  mantle  of  gold  and 
purple  on  my  shoulders,  and  gave  me  a  silver  belt  and  a 
long  knife  in  a  silver  scabbard,  and  a  pair  of  top  boots  as 
black  as  thy  eyes,  after  which  he  said, '  Follow  me.'    And 


The  Stolen  Pig.  183 

though  I  asked :  'Master  Angel,  where  are  we  going?'  he 
did  not  answer,  but  showed  the  way,  and  went  on  passing 
compliments  upon  me. 

"  He  knew  all  about  me,  that  devilish  angel,  and  how 
clever  I  am  in  every  kind  of  theft,  but  especially  when  I 
take  away  a  horse  from  its  unlawful  possessor,  because,  O 
Neagoe,  the  man  who  pays  for  an  object  or  a  brute  is  an 
unlawful  possessor,  and  the  said  thing  only  belongs  in 
reality  to  those  who  run  some  risk  in  getting  it.  But  I 
return  to  my  dream.  We  walked  through  a  forest;  then 
we  reached  a  splendid  garden  where,  instead  of  fruit  on  the 
branches  of  the  trees,  heavy  purses  full  of  white  coin  hung 
lazily,  and  my  hand  itched  to  snatch  them,  my  hand  was 
thirsty  for  the  fruit.  And  the  angel  said:  'Take!'  but  all 
the  pleasure  of  the  doing  was  then  cut  off.  At  last  we 
found  ourselves  face  to  face  with  a  great  lord.  He  was 
dressed  in  red  garments  and  had  top  boots  even  blacker 
than  my  own.  The  angel  introduced  us  to  each  other: 
c  Saint  Peter,  here  is  Barbu  the  tzigane,  who  has  come  to 
dine  at  thy  table.'  And  Saint  Peter  took  my  hand  and  we 
sat  down  at  a  large  table  where  many  people  sat,  but  as 
they  were  all  drunk  they  paid  little  attention  to  us.  I  saw 
Saint  Peter  treated  his  guests  well,  and  I  began  to  drink 
and  to  eat.  The  meat  and  the  wine  were  as  abundant  as 
thy  hair,  and  I  ate  and  I  drank  till  my  senses  reeled,  and  all 
the  time  Saint  Peter  said,  cAh!  Barbu,  how  pleased  I  am 
to  see  thee.  Drink,  my  dear  friend,  drink  and  eat.'  Now, 
Neagoe,  is  not  my  dream  very  beautiful  indeed,  and  is  not 


184  The  Stolen  Pig. 

the  pig  mine?  But  I  will  listen  to  thee  first,  and  we  will 
judge,  for  we  are  very  honest  fellows,  that  we  are."  Neagoe 
took  a  long  breath  and  said :  a  Friend  Barbu,  my  story  is 
short.  In  my  dream  I  saw  thee  revel  by  the  side  of  Saint 
Peter,  and  eat  the  viands  and  drink  the  abundant  wine,  so 
I  said  to  myself,  c  Barbu  is  happy,  Barbu  is  well  fed,  he 
does  not  require  the  little  pig.'  So  I  awoke,  killed  the 
animal,  and  ate  it  while  you  were  at  Saint  Peter's  table." 


"The  Mantle.  1 8  5 


THE  MANTLE. 

A  young  heiduck  who  had  fought  bravely  and  yet  pos- 
sessed naught  but  his  horse,  his  sword,  his  whistle,  and  six 
knives  in  his  silver  belt,  sat  by  a  large  fire  in  the  wood 
and  gazed  into  the  flames  and  said  in  his  thoughts:  "  If  the 
fairy  that  dwells  in  this  fire  was  a  generous  fairy  and  could 
read  my  thoughts,  she  would  appear  before  me  in  her 
beauty  and  make  me  a  present.  I  would  like  to  possess  a 
mantle  of  fire,  as  red  as  the  flames  and  as  supple,  and  walk 
with  my  mantle  on  my  shoulders  over  the  whole  earth. 
The  forests  would  wonder  and  say:  'He  is  the  brother  of 
the  storm-cloud.'  And  the  mountains  would  say:  'Look! 
the  son  of  the  burning  stars  is  walking  the  earth.' "  Scarcely 
had  the  young  heiduck  finished  to  dream  these  things 
when  he  saw  a  slender  form  beckon  to  him  from  among 
the  flames,  and  it  slowly  rose  before  his  eyes  till  a  graceful 
maid  stood  at  the  very  top  of  the  topmost  spark.  She  said 
to  him:  "  Young  heiduck,  thy  wish  shall  be  fulfilled.  But 
beware !  the  mantle  of  fire  must  never  leave  thy  shoulders, 
or  else  it  will  spring  upon  thee  and  devour  thy  flesh." 
She  disappeared,  and  at  the  same  moment  the  young 
heiduck  heard  a  murmur  grow  around  him,  and  he  soon 
stood  in  the  midst  of  towering  flames,  and  then  they  fell 


1 86  The  Mantle. 

to  the  ground,  and  he  found  he  wore  a  mantle  of  moving 
fire,  and  he  ran  to  the  neighbouring  stream  and  saw  him- 
self in  its  water;  the  light  cast  a  lurid  glow  on  his  hand- 
some visage,  and  his  mantle  was  as  red  as  the  sky  at 
sunset.  .  .  . 

But  alas!  wherever  he  went  the  flowers  shrivelled  and 
faded  on  his  passage,  the  forests  were  reduced  to  ashes 
and  the  grass  became  as  gray  as  if  the  moon  looked  down 
from  the  sky.  Cries  of  despair  from  animals  and  birds 
followed  his  steps.  The  young  heiduck  took  his  fiery 
horse  and  rode  away  from  the  spot,  and  as  the  mantle 
flew  about  him  he  seemed  to  ride  in  a  glorv  of  courage 
and  beauty,  yet  he  was  sore  at  heart,  because  he  had  a 
loving  soul,  and  more  than  once  had  the  smile  of  a  fair 
maid  moved  him  and  made  him  find  the  sun  brighter  and 
his  own  lot  very  good.  .  .  .  How  would  any  maid  dare  to 
approach  him,  even  if  from  afar  she  gave  him  her  smile? 
He  entered  a  village  at  noon;  it  was  almost  deserted,  be- 
cause all  its  inhabitants  were  at  work  in  the  fields,  but  his 
mantle  touched  a  high  poplar  tree  and  it  immediately 
began  to  sigh  and  blaze.  A  maiden  was  spinning  beneath 
its  branches;  she  rushed  to  the  side  of  the  young  heiduck's 
fiery  steed,  and  said:  "Thou  art  the  son  of  the  burning 
stars.  Thou  art  no  mortal  surely,  and  I  love  thee  although 
thy  mantle  burneth  and  can  kill."  And  he  stooped  to 
touch  her  hand  and  to  pluck  a  flower  from  her  hair,  but 
a  fold  of  the  awful  mantle  danced  against  the  fair  maiden's 
cheek,  and  she  was  instantly  devoured  by  the  burning  tide. 


The  Mantle.  187 

And  the  young  heiduck  rode  on.  He  said  in  his  thoughts: 
"Ah  me!  how  rash  was  my  wish  and  how  cruel  the 
fairy  who  gave  me  the  mantle  I  wear;  no  maid  will  step 
forward  to  look  on  my  face,  no  roof  will  be  happy  to 
cover  my  slumbers.  I  am  an  alien  whom  mankind  and 
nature  must  hate."  And  he  drew  his  powerful  sword  and 
gazed  at  himself  in  its  blade,  and  saw  the  mantle  flying 
round  his  shoulders,  and  it  cast  a  lurid  glare  on  his  brow. 
At  night  he  reached  a  sweet  meadow,  where  under  the 
weak  rays  of  the  new-born  moon  shepherds  and  maidens 
danced;  a  well  rose  there  tall  and  slim,  where  the  cool 
water  slept  awhile  the  shepherds  danced,  and  a  soft  flute, 
the  stem  of  some  wild  reed,  floated  on  the  gentle  breeze 
and  said  their  hearts  were  full  of  youth  and  love.  A  lonely 
maid  stood  by  the  tall  pure  well.  "  Why,  Mariora,  wilt  thou 
not  dance  too  ?  "  "  I  am  awaiting,"  said  she,  "  though  I 
know  not  what  will  come."  The  heiduck's  fiery  horse, 
the  heiduck's  mantle  of  fire  was  seen  on  the  top  of  the 
hill.  And  the  shepherds  in  awe  dispersed  and  flew  along 
the  meadow — in  one  moment  they  had  vanished.  Alone 
the  lonely  maiden  called  Mariora  stood  by  the  tall  pure 
well.  The  heiduck  came  up,  and  he  said :  "  I  am  thirsty, 
maiden,  but  I  will  alight  and  drink.  I  cannot  take  the 
cool  water  from  thy  pitcher  nor  touch  thy  fresh  young 
hand,  because  this  mantle  of  fire  would  burn  thy  fair  young 
life  out  of  thy  gentle  veins."  Mariora  smiled  and  said: 
a  My  heart  is  more  burning  by  far  than  thy  red  mantle, 
heiduck,  so  take  me  to  thy  breast;  I  fear  not  the  mantle 


1 88  The  Mantle. 

of  fire,  I  fear  not  thy  perilous  kiss."  And  he  lifted  her  to 
his  saddle  and  said:  "We  shall  visit  the  whole  earth."  .  .  . 
And  together  they  went  and  the  mantle  fanned  Mariora's 
cheeks  and  her  hair  without  daring  to  burn  their  colour 
off,  and  like  a  red  whirlwind  they  passed.  And  the  heiduck 
sang  in  the  joy  of  his  heart :  "We  are  the  wonderful  light 
of  Love;  the  forests  sink  and  shrivel  wherever  we  pass, 
and  the  flowers  die  because  they  know  not  the  true  fire 
of  Love.  Alone  the  sun,  the  moon  and  our  own  hearts 
are  unscathed ;  our  love  is  more  burning  than  fire,  and 
the  sun  and  the  moon  know  our  love."  Thus  it  came 
that  when  the  storm-cloud  passeth  Mariora  and  her  young 
heiduck  ride  in  the  sky,  and  wrapped  in  their  mantle  of 
fire  they  pass  through  the  clouds  and  they  laugh. 

By  a  maid  called  Mariora  this  tale  was  told  to  me  as  she 
stood  in  the  weak  rays  of  the  new-born  moon. 


Thisca.  189 


THISCA; 

OR. 


THE  MARVELLOUS  STONE. 


"  What  shall  I  give  thee  for  thy  birthday,  darling  daugh- 
ter ?  "  said  the  old  Emperor  to  his  only  child,  the  beautiful 
Thisca.  Thisca  was  only  sixteen,  and  already  many  kings 
and  princes  had  sued  for  the  honour  of  her  hand.  "Father," 
said  she,  "  swear  that  what  I  ask  from  thee,  thou  wilt  give." 
The  Emperor  laughed  and  answered:  "  Ouite  willingly,  I 
swear."  Then  Thisca  said:  "  Give  me  the  marvellous  blue 
stone  whose  rays  pierce  the  triple  iron  casket  in  which  it  is 
locked."  "Alas!  my  dear  child,"  said  the  Emperor,  while 
tears  rolled  down  his  cheeks,  could'st  thou  not  desire  the 
largest  among  my  kingdoms  and  the  most  fiery  among  my 
steeds,  instead  of  that  fatal  stone?  Well,  since  I  have  given 
my  word  thou  wilt  possess  it,  but  listen  to  my  fatherly 
advice:  hide  it  well  from  the  light  of  day,  and  never  wear 
it  either  in  thy  belt  nor  in  thy  hair  when  thou  art  in  the 
midst  of  human  beings."  Thisca  smiled  and  said:  "Quick, 
give  me  the  triple  iron  casket ! "  and  when  the  casket  was 
put  into  her  gentle  hands,  she  ran  up  to  her  secret  bower, 
opened  it,  and  beheld  the  splendid  stone,  whose  thousand 
rays  dazzled  her  eyes  and  seemed  to  burn  into  her  brain. 


1 90  Thisca. 

She  lifted  it  to  her  forehead ;  then  held  it  to  the  light  and 
then  closed  the  casket,  and  again  the  blue  stone  lay  buried 
in  the  iron  recesses,  but  its  brilliancy  pierced  the  metal,  and 
made  the  room  as  clear  as  if  sunshine  ever  dwelt  therein. 
"This  is  delightful  indeed,"  thought  Thisca,  "I  have  the 
sun  and  the  moon  for  ever  in  my  chamber."  And  she  kissed 
the  Emperor's  hand  and  his  lofty  brow,  and  thanked  him 
rapturously  for  the  magnificent  present. 

By  the  banks  of  the  river  not  far  from  the  imperial 
palace,  a  young  fisher  called  Dimitri  dwelt.  He  was 
handsome  and  brave,  and  sang  from  morning  till  night, 
nor  knew  of  trouble  and  care.  .  .  .  He  was  well  aware  that 
in  the  same  stretch  of  land  a  mighty  Emperor  and  his 
daughter  lived,  and  a  great  court  held  revels  and  tourna- 
ments, but  he  did  not  mind  the  distant  murmur  of  music 
and  dance.  Close  by  his  hut  a  large  forest  ran  to  the  very 
end  of  the  horizon,  and  no  one  ever  dared  to  enter  its 
precincts  because  a  dragon,  his  wife  and  his  son  lived  in  a 
cavern  under  the  trees;  the  Emperor  himself  and  his 
warriors  kept  aloof  from  the  awful  neighbours  who  de- 
voured every  man  audacious  enough  to  enter  the  forest. 
Now  Dimitri's  sole  dream  was  to  kill  the  dragon.  This 
he  had  desired  from  his  childhood,  and  one  day  on  the 
banks  of  the  river  he  had  found  a  large  sword,  who  when 
he  approached  stood  erect  before  him,  and  said  :  "Young 
fisher,  wash  me  well  in  the  tide  of  the  river  every  morning 
when  the  sun  rises,  and  when  it  sets  every  night,  and  it 
will  help  thee  to  kill  the  dragon,  and  spring  myself  out  of 


Thisca.  1 9 1 

my  scabbard  when  the  day  to  accomplish  this  deed  has 
arrived."  Dimitri  for  more  than  three  years  had  washed  the 
sword  and  cherished  its  brightness,  and  he  kept  it  carefully 
hidden  in  his  hut.  But  the  sword  had  remained  quiet  in 
its  leather  scabbard,  and  he  did  not  dare  attack  the  dragon 
without  the  sword's  consent.  At  that  time  when  Princess 
Thisca  had  obtained  the  blue  stone  from  her  father,  great 
consternation  was  thrown  upon  the  court  by  the  fact  that 
the  dragon  and  his  family  had  killed  three  of  the  Princess's 
own  ladies  as  they  wandered  along  the  forest  border  in 
search  of  wild  berries.  And  the  Emperor  issued  a  pro- 
clamation to  say  he  would  give  the  hand  of  his  only 
daughter  to  the  king,  prince,  or  duke  who  would  bring 
him  the  dragon's  awful  head!  And  this  message  was  taken 
to  every  king  and  prince  and  duke. 

Dimitri  in  his  humble  hut  knew  naught  of  this.  At 
first  many  suitors  came  with  numerous  retinues  and 
warriors  and  lances,  but  no  sooner  did  they  see  the  dragon 
than  some  fled,  others  fought  desperately  till  the  monster 
finished  by  vanquishing  them,  and  soon  the  forest  paths 
were  strewn  with  dead  bodies.  Dimitri  heard  the  sound 
of  fight j  he  heard  the  dragons  fret  and  roar,  but  as  his 
sword  remained  unmoved  he  dared  not  go  forward.  . .  .  The 
Emperor  began  to  repent  his  decision;  first  he  regretted 
the  death  of  so  many  brave  princes ;  then  his  darling 
Thisca  ran  the  risk  of  becoming  an  old  maid,  and  his  heart 
grew  heavy  within  him.  One  morning  a  page  stepped 
forward,  knelt  before  the  Emperor,  and  said:  "Rejoice, 


192  Thisca. 

great  monarch,  Prince  Zaltuhin,  who  is  renowned  for  his 
valour  and  for  his  good  looks,  is  hard  upon  the  dragon 
just  now;  the  earth  trembles  all  round;  and  everyone 
thinks  that  before  sunset  Zaltuhin  will  have  cut  the  mon- 
ster's awful  head."  And  the  Emperor  awaited  in  hope  and 
anxiety,  and  went  out  to  his  balcony  to  hear  tidings  of  the 
struggle.  The  dragon  had  thrown  Prince  Zaltuhin  down 
from  his  saddle,  and  his  flaming  paws  were  on  Zaltuhin's 
breast;  all  the  Prince's  warriors  had  run  away  or  were 
burned  to  death  by  the  flames  that  issued  from  the  dragon's 
body,  and  the  Prince  thought  his  last  hour  had  come, 
when  up  springs  a  young  man  with  a  large  sword.  He 
pushes  Zaltuhin  back,  and  attacks  the  dragon  breast  to 
breast.  It  was  a  jolly  and  wonderful  sight;  Zaltuhin 
praised  each  blow.  The  dragon  bit  furiously  into  the  young 
man's  bare  arms,  but  Dimitri  would  not  give  way.  His 
good  sword  had  sprung  out  of  its  scabbard.  He  would  win 
the  day.  The  duel  lasted  three  hours,  and  at  the  end  of 
those  hours  the  dragon  fell,  the  flames  that  oozed  from  his 
body  died  away,  and  he  lay  a  hideous  corpse  at  the  young 
hero's  feet.  Then  Zaltuhin  congratulated  and  questioned 
him,  and  learnt  how  simple  the  life  Dimitri  led,  and  how 
simple  his  mind.  A  sudden  inspiration  seized  upon  him, 
and  he  struck  his  forehead  in  his  great  glee  at  the  good 
idea.  He  would  have  Thisca's  hand  and  her  dowry  and 
her  beauty,  and  the  credit  of  having  killed  the  dragon. 
The  lad  knew  no  one  belonging  to  the  court;  no  one 
had  been  present  at  the  fight.    So  he  turned  to  Dimitri 


Thisca.  193 

and  said:  "Young  fellow,  allow  me  to  cut  the  dragon's 
awful  head ;  his  body  and  his  skin  will  I  leave  to  thee,  but 
I  want  to  put  up  his  head  in  my  royal  hall.  Here  is  a 
purse  full  of  gold  for  the  dragon's  head."  Dimitri  had  never 
seen  gold  in  his  life,  and  he  did  not  care  for  the  dragon's 
head;  so  he  allowed  Zaltuhin  to  cut  it  off,  while  the  young 
fisherman  took  the  skin.  When  he  got  home  the  sword 
said:  a  I  am  going  to  cut  thee  a  splendid  mantle  out  of  the 
dragon's  skin  "5  and  the  sword  was  at  work  all  night,  and 
on  the  morrow  Dimitri  found  a  splendid  mantle  on  his 
couch,  and  when  he  put  the  mantle  on  his  shoulders,  he 
looked  like  the  Emperor  himself,  and  even  better,  because 
he  was  handsome  and  young.  The  court  assembled  to  re- 
ceive Prince  Zaltuhin,  and  Thisca,  who  knew  she  would 
meet  her  affianced  husband,  was  curious  to  look  upon  his 
face.  She  wore  a  rich  tunic  of  silver,  and  in  her  hand  she 
took  the  blue  stone,  as  she  had  noticed  how  beautiful 
everything  appeared  when  she  gazed  at  the  skies  and  the 
woods  through  the  wonderful  stone.  Prince  Zaltuhin 
entered  the  palace  hall,  and  a  flourish  of  trumpets  greeted 
him ;  then  he  advanced  towards  the  throne  where  the  Em- 
peror was  seated,  while  Thisca  stood  gracefully  at  her 
father's  side.  She  cast  a  keen  glance  on  his  visage,  and 
began  to  tremble,  and  she  said  in  her  heart:  "He  is  not 
like  the  man  I  saw  in  my  dreams."  Then  she  lifted  up 
the  blue  stone  to  her  eyes,  and  looked  around  the  assembly, 
and  to  her  great  surprise  she  saw  the  thoughts  of  every 
person  present  written  in  words  of  fire  upon  their  foreheads. 

o 


1 94  Thisca. 

ThenThisca  understood  the  fearful  power  of  the  marvellous 

stone.   And  for  this  reason  had  her  father  hesitated  to  make 

her  the  present  she  so  desired.    For  base  and  so  different 

from  their  attitudes  and  their  words  were  the  thoughts 

she  read  on  the  brow  of  courtier  and  page — envy  against 

the  Emperor  and  herself,  jealousy  of  each   other,  dark 

schemes  to  destroy  the  friends  to  whom  they  smiled.    A 

faintness  came  over  her  which  she  vanquished,  because  at 

that  very  moment,  on  a  huge  silver  tray,  the  dragon's  head 

was  brought  in.  She  looked  at  Prince  Zaltuhin  as  he  offered 

the  monstrous  trophy  to  the  Emperor,  and  on  his  brow 

she  clearly  read  this:  "  How  kind  of  young  Dimitri,  the 

handsome  fisherman  who  killed  the  dragon,  to  give  me  all 

the  benefit  of  his  victory !    It  is  true  he  knew  not  its  price, 

and  no  one  will  ever  be  aware  of  my  treachery,  and  Princess 

Thisca  is  mine."    Thisca,  with  a  deep  voice,  answered : 

"  No,  Prince  Zaltuhin,  thy  thoughts  I  have  read  one  by 

one.    Princess  Thisca  will  never  be  thine.    Thou  hast  not 

killed  the  dragon,  and  I  want  to  see  Dimitri,  the  handsome 

fisherman  who  has  allowed  thee  to  cut  off  the  dragon's 

head."    Great  surprise  fell  on  the  unhappy  Prince  at  these 

words,  and  he  hastened  away  vowing  vengeance;  while 

the  Emperor  said:  "Alas!   dear  child,  thou  hast  used  the 

power  of  the  marvellous  stone.    Alas!  this  will  embitter 

thy  whole  life,  as  it  did  mine  till  I  had  the  courage  to 

shut  it  up  in  an  iron  casket  and  never  take  it  out  of  its 

hiding-place."    To  his  utter  amazement  that  very  evening 

Dimitri  was  called  upon  by  two  officials  from  the  palace, 


Thisca.  195 

"  Princess  Thisca  wishes  to  see  thee,"  they  said.  He  fol- 
lowed them,  and  on  his  shoulders  he  wore  the  splendid 
mantle  cut  out  of  the  dragon's  skin.  The  Princess  was  on 
the  palace  balcony  waiting  for  him,  and  when  he  entered 
her  presence  the  mantle  threw  a  lurid  light  like  a  fire  all 
around.  The  Princess  asked :  "  Whence  comes  this  man- 
tle? "  "It  is  made  of  the  skin  of  the  dragon  I  killed." 
"  Take  it  off,"  ordered  the  Princess,  "  for  its  glow  is  too 
strong,  and  prevents  me  from  seeing  thy  visage."  Dimitri 
obeyed,  and  Thisca  looked  into  the  frank  clear  visage,  and 
she  said:  "He  singularly  resembles  the  man  I  so  often 
see  in  my  dreams.  Yet  he  is  only  a  fisher-boy,  what  a 
pity !"  Then  she  bade  Dimitri  relate  all  about  his  meeting 
with  Prince  Zaltuhin  and  the  dragon's  death,  which 
Dimitri  did  with  words  fiery  and  simple.  Then  a  long 
silence  ensued,  and  the  Princess  took  up  the  blue  stone 
and  looked  at  Dimitri  and  read  his  thoughts,  and  in  his 
thoughts  the  young  man  said:  "She  is  the  Emperor's 
daughter,  alas !  for  me.  I  love  her,  and  would  like  to  take 
her  away  on  the  spot  and  wrap  her  in  my  flaming  mantle 
and  in  my  burning  arms.  Alas !  for  ever  will  my  heart 
be  broken  because  I  have  looked  upon  her  beauty  and 
heard  her  voice.  I  will  lie  down  in  the  river  and  allow 
the  river  to  carry  me  away.  I  must  die."  "No,  no!"  said 
Thisca;  "thou  must  not  die,  Dimitri.  No,  no,  I  am  not 
an  Emperor's  daughter  to  thee;  I  am  thy  bride.  Thou  hast 
killed  the  dragon — my  father  must  keep  his  word."  She 
flew  to  her  father's  chamber,  and  said:  "  Great  Emperor, 


196  T hi  sea. 

give  me  the  largest  of  thy  kingdoms,  and  I  will  give  the 
largest  of  thy  kingdoms  a  king."  And  she  told  him  the 
great  desire  that  had  risen  in  her  soul,  and  how  Dimitri 
had  killed  the  dragon,  and  the  passionate  thoughts  she  had 
read  on  his  brow.  And  thus  it  came  to  pass  the  Emperor's 
daughter  married  the  handsome  fisher-boy. 

And  the  old  woman  who  told  this  tale  to  me  added :  "  You 
see  this  cannot  happen  now,  nay,  even  if  you  find  a  fisher-boy 
as  handsome  and  brave  as  Dimitri  and  a  Princess  as  lovely 
and  true  as  Thisca.  The  blue  stone  is  lost,  and  also  its  power. 
This  will  never  happen  again" 


The  Shirt.  197 


THE  SHIRT. 

A  TZIGANE  TALE. 

In  a  wretched  hovel  by  the  side  of  a  river  two  tziganes 
dwelt.  They  earned  their  living  by  sundry  thefts  and  the 
making  of  wooden  spoons,  which  they  sold  at  the  neigh- 
bouring town.  They  were  called  Zamfir  and  Trandafir. 
Zamfir  was  the  younger,  and  Trandafir  the  more  lazy  of  the 
two  brothers.  They  had  never  seen  enough  money  to  buy 
garments,  and  possessed  only  one  single  shirt,  which  they 
wore  alternately,  eight  days  each;  while  the  one  whose 
body  was  covered  went  on  all  the  errands  of  the  house- 
hold, the  other  stayed  in  and  worked,  or  wandered  in  the 
forest,  where  no  one  could  see  him.  This  went  on  very 
well  for  a  long  year;  during  the  winter  months  the  tzigane 
who  remained  naked  gathered  straw  and  dried  grass  over 
him,  and  then  felt  very  comfortable,  but  Zamfir  being 
younger,  soon  began  to  desire  more  liberty,  and,  on  the 
other  hand,  he  could  not  present  himself  in  villages  and 
in  fairs  for  a  space  of  time  longer  than  eight  days,  as  he 
knew  that  on  his  return  his  comrade  would  find  fault 
with  him  and  taunt  him  for  not  keeping  his  promise.  One 
day  Zamfir  came  home  in  a  state  of  dreadful  emotion  : 
"  Only  think,  dear  Trandafir,  only  think  of  the  terrible 


198  "The  Shirt. 

thing  that  has  happened  to  me.  Not  far  from  here,  on  the 
very  border  of  the  little  wood,  I  have  met  a  woman  with 
spindle  in  hand  and  a  red  poppy  in  her  hair.  And  I  said: 
'  Who  art  thou?'  and  she  answered:  'I  am  Sister  Death.' 
When  I  heard  these  words  I  began  to  tremble,  but  she 
reassured  me,  and  said:  'Thou  art  a  handsome  tzigane, 
'tis  true;  so  handsome  that  I  would  fain  marry  thee,  but  I 
will  leave  thee  to  spend  a  few  more  years  in  the  hovel  with 
Trandafir.  On  one  condition  though :  thou  must  come  to 
me  every  Sunday,  and  wear  thy  white  shirt,  and  kiss  me  so 
that  I  do  not  get  too  impatient  of  the  wedding,  and  twice 
a  week  too  thou  must  come.'  And  only  think,  Trandafir, 
I  have  been  obliged  to  promise,  and  what  shall  we  do,  as 
we  have  got  but  this  one  shirt?  Surely,  if  Sister  Death 
should  come  to  know  this,  and  hear  of  our  poverty,  she 
would  marry  me  on  the  spot.  Alas!  alas!  wilt  thou  allow 
thy  dear  Zamfir  to  become  the  husband  of  Sister  Death, 
and  live  in  a  place  even  smaller  than  this?"  "Alas!  alas! 
don't  weep  and  scream,  dear  Zamfir,"  answered  his  com- 
panion. "I  will  give  thee  the  shirt  twice  a  week,  and  even 
on  Sunday,  and  Sister  Death  will  never  see  thee  naked." 
Zamfir  thanked  Trandafir  with  all  his  might  and  even 
gave  him  a  bit  of  cigar  he  had  found  on  the  road.  So  for 
many  a  Sunday,  and  for  many  a  day,  the  younger  tzigane 
would  walk  from  place  to  place,  while  the  older  one  stayed 
at  home,  and  all  had  happened  according  to  Zamfir's  fondest 
wishes.  But  Trandafir  became  bitter  in  his  soul  while  he 
worked  at  his  wooden  spoons.    He  thought  Sister  Death 


Shirt.  199 

must  by   no  n  such  a  1 

Zamhr  goes  to  their  meeting  with  such  a  b 
u  Happy  fellow,  the  may  prove  a  pre:  th  copper 

skin.    I  must  get  to  know  her  >omc  day  when  I  have  m\ 
shirt  on,  and  do  not  risk  to  be 
wench."   And  he  laughed  to  htn 

on  th  /amfrir.    One  Monday  evening,  when  it 

rrandafir'a  turn  to  wear  the  shirt,  he  stayed  out  all 

and   came    home  .mtir 

already  afraid  something  might  have  happened  I 
companion.    At  last  he  heard  fa  the  path. 

Trandahr  entered  the  hut  with  sighs  and  moans  and  /am- 
tir  asked:  u  Brother,  what  i>  the  matter  with  thee?  "  But 
Trandahr  could  n  ink  to  the  ground, 

sobbed  .uu\  wrung  his  haiuU.     Whenever  Xamrir  tried  to 
soothe  and  to  approach  him,  h  I  became  dreadful, 

and  he  e\en,  1  ihed  to  hi 

aced   Xamtir  with  the  naked  blade,    "li  thought 

Xamtir,  Ck  niv  poor  friend   rrandatir  is  mad.     I  must  let  him 
sleep  this  night,  and  to-morrow  we  will  see  what  is  . 
done."  .  .  .  The  next  morning  Zamtv  anda- 

tir,  art  thou  better  now?  or  shall  I  take  thee  to  the  wizard 

who  can  cure  of  any  ML  cd  Trandahr, 

u  1  will  never  be  11  irother,  I  have  also 

Sister  Death.     As  soon  at  the  I  w  me  she  ex- 

claimed:  H)  what  l  handsome  t/iganc  I  splendid 

ane!   white  teeth,  black  cheeks,  glossy  hair,  and  ham 
hands.    God!    I  have  never  met  such  I  handsome  t/ 


200  The  Shirt. 

before.  I  wish  I  could  marry  him  on  the  spot,  but  I  am 
betrothed  to  another — Zamfir  by  name.  He  always  wears 
a  nice  white  shirt,  and  when  next  I  meet  him  so  fairly 
dressed  I  will  marry  him  on  the  spot.'  "  Zamfir  stared  hard 
at  Trandafir.  His  face  had  blanched,  and  his  lips  had 
become  as  blue  as  the  young  plums  on  the  old  plum-tree : 
"Hast  thou  really  met  Sister  Death?"  And  in  himself  he 
said  :  "Trandafir  has  ever  been  more  truthful  than  myself. 
He  has  seen  her."  "Alas!  alas! "  cried  Trandafir,  "the  next 
time,  the  very  next  time,  if  she  meets  thee  by  day,  she 
takes  thee,  and  she  said  the  big  crow  she  loves  will  be 
the  priest,  and  the  owl  sing  during  the  marriage,  dear. 
Alas!  alas!"  And  Trandafir  shed  tears.  "  Brother,"  said 
Zamfir,  "  I  will  never  wear  the  shirt  again  in  the  day- 
time," and  from  that  moment  Trandafir  had  the  shirt  all 
to  himself. 


The  Church  Builder,  201 


THE  CHURCH  BUILDER. 

Ionita  was  a  famous  church  builder  whom  every  one 
envied  and  revered  for  his  great  talent.  Emperors  and 
kings  had  called  him  whenever  a  famous  church  was  to 
be  built  in  their  realm,  and  Ionita  in  his  pride  said  once : 
u  I  am  sure  I  could  build  a  palace  a  thousand  times  fairer 
than  the  palace  of  the  sun,  and  more  beautiful  than  the 
balconies  of  the  moon's  white  dwelling."  Now  a  powerful 
Voivode,  who  dwelt  in  a  convent  and  wanted  to  have  a 
fine  palace  built,  called  Ionita,  and  said,  "  I  will  give  thee 
as  much  gold  and  silver  as  thou  hast  ever  dreamt  of  in  thy 
wildest  dreams,  but  I  want  thee  to  build  a  fair  palace 
for  me." 

"  Great  Prince,"  answered  Ionita,  "  in  a  year's  time  the 
palace  will  be  ready  and  smile  on  thee  from  the  top  of  the 
hill."  And  Ionita  assembled  the  most  skilful  masons  in  all 
the  land  and  set  to  work  heartily.  At  first  all  went  on 
well.  But  the  moon  just  whispered  a  few  words  to  the 
sun  before  the  sun  had  sunk  to  rest.  "  Glorious  sun,"  said 
the  moon,  "  wilt  thou  allow  this  fellow  to  build  a  palace  on 
earth  as  fair  as  thy  own  palace  and  as  the  balconies  of  my 
dear  white  dwelling  ?  Why,  what  difference  will  there  be 
between  the  Voivode  and  thyself  when  his  palace  is  like 


202  The  Church  Builder, 

thine?  As  to  the  Voivode's  wife,  she'll  surely  toss  her 
head  at  the  moon  and  say, ( The  balconies  of  my  palace  are 
exactly  like  those  of  thy  white  dwellings.'  Sister  Moon  and 
I  can't  put  up  with  any  such  impudence  from  the  daughter 
of  a  mortal,  and  who  is  a  mortal  herself." 

The  glorious  sun,  who  was  dying  with  sleep,  drew  his 
purple  curtains  around  him  and  answered  lazily:  "Beautiful 
white  moon,  I  am  indignant  with  the  man,  but  still  thou 
knowest  how  busy  my  life  is  and  how  I  long  for  a  good 
night's  rest.  Take  thou  this  matter  in  hand,  and  deal 
harshly  with  Ionita  the  church  builder.  I  will  lend  thee 
my  bow  and  my  arrows."  "  No  need,"  said  the  moon,  and 
spitefully  hid  her  face  behind  a  cloud.  The  sun  was  gone, 
but  the  moon  walked  softly  to  the  place  where  the  walls 
of  the  wondrous  palace  rose,  and  there  became  a  beautiful 
white  maid,  and  began  to  sing  so  sweet  a  song  that  all  the 
workmen  rose  to  listen,  and  when  they  saw  her  they  fell 
in  raptures  over  her  beauty  and  her  grace. 

At  midnight  she  took  leave.  "  Come  back  to-morrow 
evening,"  they  all  said.  "  O  do  come  back,  fair  maid."  "I 
promise  to  come  back  and  sing  again,"  said  she,  a  if  you 
give  your  master  Ionita  this  draught  when  he  joins  you 
to-morrow  morning.  O  no,  I'm  not  in  love  with  him, 
but  I  send  him  this  draught  which  will  make  him  joyous 
and  strong.  Don't  tell  him  I  have  come.  Good-bye."  And 
she  disappeared.  When  Ionita  arrived  at  dawn  one  of  his 
favourite  mates  sprang  up  and  said  :  "  Master,  drink,  for 
this  is  a  marvellous  draught.    'Twill  make  thee  gay  and 


The  Church  Builder,  203 

strong."  "Is  no  wench's  design  mixed  up  with  the  liquor? 
I  have  loved  no  woman  till  now."  And  as  Ionita  was 
reckless  and  thirsty  he  drank  the  whole  cup  and  laughed. 

Now  the  Voivode's  wife  was  sweet  and  fair,  and  he 
loved  her  well,  but  the  Voivode  knew  not  the  ways  of 
love,  and  he  spoke  rudely,  and  the  rude  gauntlet  had  made 
his  fingers  rude.  And  the  rude  wind  that  blows  on  battle- 
fields had  made  his  cheek  and  his  lips  rude,  and  the  rude 
light  that  burns  in  a  warrior's  eyes  had  made  his  own 
eyes  rude. 

His  wife  was  called  Marita;  she  was  slender  and  weak, 
and  it  was  less  easy  to  blow  ofF  the  petals  of  a  fading 
flower  than  to  smite  her  dear  soul  and  to  wound  her  soft 
heart.  Now  Marita's  heart  was  sore  wounded  because  the 
Voivode  was  so  rude,  and  she  lay  in  her  silver  couch 
awake  every  night,  and  sighed  and  wondered  how  a 
woman  must  feel  who  is  loved  by  a  lover  true. 

The  wily  moon  stepped  in  through  the  stained  glass  of 
her  window  and  crept  to  Marita's  side,  and  sat  on  Marita's 
couch  and  said  :  "Though  thou  art  a  Prince's  daughter  and 
the  wife  of  a  great  Voivode,  O  thou  art  poor  and  pitiful, 
because  thou  never  hast  heard  a  word  of  love.  Shall  I  tell 
thee  what  lovers  say  who  wander  under  my  beams  ? "  And 
Marita  sighed  and  whispered  :  "  Dear  moon,  is  it  right  to 
listen  to  thee  ?  "  And  thus  the  night  passed,  and  all  day 
Marita  sat  dreaming  of  the  time  when  the  moon  would 
return  and  tell  her  the  dangerous  tale  of  universal  love  in 
which  she  had  no  part. 


204  The  Church  Builder, 

Ionita  could  no  longer  sleep.  Since  he  had  drunk 
the  moon's  secret  draught,  he  wandered  beneath  the 
moon.  He  waited  and  knew  something  would  come 
and  change  his  life.  The  moon  said  to  Marita  :  "  Dear 
Princess,  there  is  a  young  man  down  in  the  Prince's 
garden  who  has  drunk  a  love-draught  and  will  love  the 
first  fair  woman  he  sees."  "  What  care  I  for  young  men 
who  walk  in  my  husband's  garden  ?  "  answered  the  sweet 
Princess,  but  to  herself  she  said  :  "  How  he  must  wait  and 
pine!  O  if  the  moon  could  vanish  I  would  just  step  out 
and  see  him,  but  of  course  without  being  seen."  Just  at 
that  moment  the  moon  disappeared,  and  Marita  hastened 
to  the  garden  and  perceived  Ionita,  who  wandered  and 
sighed.  She  pitied  him  in  her  heart  and  thought :  "  The 
night  is  dark.  He  will  not  see  my  face,  nor  without  seeing 
can  he  love,  but  I  must  speak  to  him."  So  she  said :  "  O 
what  ails  thee  ?  What  can  I  do  to  soothe  ?"  "Thy  voice  is 
like  a  cold  rose-leaf,  lady,  that  falls  and  refreshes  my  blood. 
My  lips  would  like  to  touch  the  lips  from  which  such  a 
fresh  voice  has  come,  for  do  we  not  touch  the  rose-tree 
when  we  have  to  pluck  its  flowers  ? "  Marita  would  have 
answered :  "I  am  thy  Prince's  wife,"  but  she  felt  he  was  sad 
and  weary,  and  he  did  not  see  her  face.  "The  night  is  so 
dark  I  can't  see  thy  face.  Shall  we  pray  the  beautiful 
moon  to  return  and  shine  in  the  garden,  and  then  I  will 
see  thy  fair  face."  "Beware,  sad  young  man,  beware  of  my 
lips  and  beware  also  of  my  face."  "Oto  drink  death  upon  thy 
lips,  to  drink  death  in  thy  eyes,  I  wish  for  no  other  bliss." 


The  Church  Builder,  205 

Now  Marita  began  to  tremble  because  he  had  taken  her 
hand,  and  her  hand  began  to  tremble  because  he  was  taking 
her  heart.  And  she  thought:  "The  Voivode's  asleep,  he  has 
been  away  with  his  warriors  and  ridden  his  horses  all  day." 
Now  the  Voivode  had  a  friend,  a  fearful  old  dragon, 
whose  whole  body  was  made  of  green  crystal  and  who 
dwelt  in  a  sandy  plain.  No  one  but  the  Prince  could 
approach  and  feed  him,  and  he  fed  him  with  fire  and  with 
snow.  The  old  green  dragon  would  eat  nothing  but  fire 
and  snow.  He  loved  the  Voivode  deeply,  and  to  him  the 
Voivode  related  all  his  plans,  all  his  joys  and  his  cares. 
The  dragon  had  a  magic  garden  whose  trees  always 
whispered  what  was  going  on  in  the  different  parts  of  the 
world.  When  the  dragon  walked  in  his  garden  he  was 
better  informed  than  if  he  travelled  for  years.  The  old 
dragon  was  sleepless  just  on  the  very  same  night  when 
Princess  Marita  met  Ionita  in  the  dark,  and  as  the  dragon 
wandered  beneath  a  tall  elm  the  tall  elm  said :  "  Master 
Dragon,  at  this  very  moment  the  Voivode's  sweet  wife  is 
allowing  a  man  to  speak  of  love  to  her."  "What,  the  Prince's 
own  wife?  I'm  astounded,  tall  elm,  the  fair  Marita  is 
pure  like  the  green  crystal  of  which  my  body  is  made. 
Look  again,  thou  may'st  be  mistaking  some  tirewoman 
for  the  sweet  Princess."  But  the  tall  elm  answered: 
"  Master,  have  we  ever  made  a  mistake  ?  He  touches  her 
hand,  her  heart  is  aglow,  they  sigh  and  they  say  :  '  This  is 
love!'"  At  dawn  the  Voivode  received  a  message.  The 
green  dragon  bade  him  come  in  all  haste.    "  I  will  not  say 


206  The  Church  Builder. 

the  truth  to  him," thought  the  kind  dragon.  "What  husband 
could  hear  of  his  wife's  deceit  without  shame?  I  will  find 
some  means  of  frightening  Marita  out  of  her  sin."  The 
wondering Voivode  arrived  before  dawn.  "Three  men  have 
saddled  my  horses,  three  men  have  thrown  my  mantle  on 
my  shoulders,  three  men  have  stuck  the  princely  peacock 
plumes  in  my  princely  cap,  for  great  was  my  haste  to 
come  to  thee,  dear  friend.  Is  some  bad  wizard  astir,  does 
some  black  dwarf  thwart  thee,  or  art  thou  in  love  with  the 
fairy  who  dwells  in  the  silver  well?"  "  Thou  hast  guessed 
aright,  great  monarch,  I'm  in  love  with  the  silver  fairy 
who  dwells  in  the  well  by  thy  palace.  She  only  appears 
at  night.  O  give  me  the  key  of  thy  garden,  and  give  me 
permission  to  stay  by  the  well  till  the  fairy  comes,  till  I 
see  her  fairy  face."  "Here  's  the  key,"  said  the  Prince,  "but 
be  sure,  my  green  dragon,  to  make  thyself  invisible,  lest 
all  my  warriors  take  fright,  however  brave  they  be,  for 
thou  art  a  handsome  dragon,  but  a  green  dragon  still  is  no 
sight  for  the  eyes  of  mortals  except  for  my  princely  eyes." 
The  second  night  Marita  saw  the  moon  ascend  the  sky, 
and  the  moon  came  in  through  the  stained  window  and 
sat  on  Marita's  couch,  but  Marita  pretended  to  sleep  till 
the  moon  left  her  side,  and  then  she  rushed  to  her  golden 
mirror  and  combed  her  beautiful  hair.  She  stood  by  her 
golden  mirror  and  donned  a  beautiful  dress ;  then  she  ran 
out  on  the  terrace,  she  ran  to  the  place  in  the  garden 
where  she  knew  young  Ionita  stood.  He  saw,  and  mad 
with  love  he  knelt  at  her  feet  and  said:  "Now  I  behold 


The  Church  Builder.  207 

thy  fairness,  and  I  weep  because  thou  art  the  fairest  thing 

on  earth,  and  because  thou  must  suffer  not  to  see  anything 

that  is  fair  as  thee."    And  she  stooped  towards  him  as  he 

knelt,  and  she  stooped  towards  him  and  said:  "  O  thou  art 

handsome,  and  who  would  blame  my  heart  to  follow  the 

laws  of  my  eyes  ?    Our  eyes  are  made  to  take  in  all  that  *s 

fair,  our  hearts  are  made  to  love  all  that  our  eyes  deem 

sweet."    And  she  stooped  towards  him  to  kiss  him,  but 

the  invisible  dragon,  who  had  seen  and  heard  everything, 

at  that  moment  became  a  cloud  of  fire  in  the  sky,  and  the 

earth  shook  and  the  palace  trembled.    And  the  Voivode 

and  all  his  warriors,  together  with  equerries,  pages  and 

servants,  came  out  on  the  balconies  high,  came  out  on  the 

terraces  broad,  came  out  to  the  marble  stairs  and  shrieked 

and  asked:  "What  is  this  awful  cloud  and  why  does  the 

earth  shake  thus?  "    But  Marita  and  Ionita  were  so  rapt 

in  each  other  that  their  lips  did  not  part,  nor  knew  they 

aught  of  what  happened.    Then  the  dragon  became  an 

immense  river  and  lashed  their  feet  and  hurled  them  along 

till  the  waves  rolled  round  their  heads.    But  their  fond 

lips  parted  not,  nor  did  they  know  what  happened,  nor 

even  cared  to  know.    Then  the  green  dragon,  who  was  a 

fearful  dragon,  came  before  them  in  his  true  form,  and 

hissed  and  threw  great  flames  from  his  nostrils,  but  they 

took  no  notice  of  him.    Seeing  how  deep  their  mutual  love 

now  proved,  the  dragon  said  to  himself:  u  I  will  once  more 

spare  useless  shame  to  my  friend  the  Voivode,"  and  with 

the  flames  from  his  nostrils  he  made  a  beautiful  woman 


208  The  Church  Builder. 

who  resembled  Marita  as  if  she  was  Marita  herself,  and 
he  put  her  gently  on  Marita's  couch  and  breathed  a  few 
words  over  her  sleep.  Then  he  took  the  ardent  lovers  on 
his  green  crystal  wings ;  he  took  them  to  his  garden, 
whose  gate  he  guarded  himself.  The  Voivode  saw  no 
change  in  his  life,  but  his  new  spouse,  being  of  dragon 
blood,  was  wicked  and  impatient,  and  noticing  her  quick 
mood,  he  often  sighed  and  thought :  "  What  can  have  thus 
altered  my  sweet  Marita?"  and  whereas  when  Marita  was 
always  content,  his  spouse  led  a  weary  life,  he  now  ordered 
great  feasts  to  be  given  at  court,  and  lavished  jewels  and 
gold  on  the  imperious  dame. 

In  the  meantime  Marita  and  Ionita  dwelt  in  the 
dragon's  garden,  but  their  happiness  did  not  last  long.  For 
they  heard  the  trees  relate  to  each  other  all  that  took 
place  on  earth,  and  one  morning  Ionita  learnt  how  his 
mates  had  found  another  church  builder  who  was  gaining 
great  fame  in  the  whole  land,  and  how  he  was  himself 
forgotten  by  his  friends  and  former  companions.  And 
Marita,  to  her  deep  surprise,  heard  the  sound  of  revels  in 
the  Voivode's  hall,  and  the  merry  laughter  and  the 
haughty  speech  of  a  woman  whose  voice  was  so  like  hers 
that  she  thought  it  might  be  an  echo  of  her  own  voice. 
And  Ionita,  on  whom  the  love-draught  had  ceased  to  work, 
sighed  and  said:  "Fair  Princess,  I  wish  I  had  not  seen 
thy  beauty  nor  touched  thy  gentle  hand."  And  Marita 
answered :  "I  wish  I  had  ne'er  descended  the  steps  that  led 
to  our  garden  that  night."    The  old  dragon  watched  them 


The  Church  Builder,  209 

and  rejoiced,  for  they  were  tasting  the  bitter  fruit  of  sin; 
then,  when  he  believed  they  had  suffered  sufficiently,  he 
carried  Ionita  back  on  his  own  green  wings,  and  Ionita 
awoke  among  his  mates. 

But  before  he  could  carry  Marita  back  to  the  palace, 
the  false  Marita,  who  was  born  of  dragon  blood,  had  to 
be  taken  away  from  the  place  she  occupied,  and  many 
difficulties  now  rushed  in  the  dragon's  way.  He  took  the 
form  of  a  humming-bee,  and  buzzed  in  the  Princess's  ear 
till  she  turned  and  said:  "  This  bee  is  certainly  a  fairy.  I 
never  heard  a  bee  like  this."  Then  the  bee  said:  u  I  am  thy 
sister.  I'm  born  like  thee  of  dragon  blood."  "  Then,"  an- 
swered the  false  Princess,  "thou  must  be  immortal."  And  at 
this  the  bee  felt  disturbed,  because  only  then  the  dragon  was 
reminded  that  he  could  not  destroy  what  he  had  created 
with  his  own  blood.  He  answered  simply:  "Sister,  thou 
need'st  a  maiden  who  may  sit  by  thy  side  and  sing.  No 
great  Princess  is  like  thee  by  herself  in  her  bower,  while  to 
other  Princesses  sweet  maids  relate  fine  tales  and  sing." 

"  'Tis  true,"  said  the  ambitious  dame;  "  canst  thou  bring 
such  a  maid  to  me?"  "Certainly,"  answered  the  hum- 
ming-bee, and  vanished.  The  dragon  changed  Marita's  face, 
the  dragon  changed  Marita's  voice,  the  dragon  changed 
Marita's  steps,  and  told  her:  "  Wilt  thou  win  thy  lord  back? 
Obey  me,  and  go  in  thy  own  palace  and  serve  the  new 
Princess."  At  this  Marita  got  pale:  "A  servant  in  my  own 
palace,  and  a  servant  to  my  rival,  too! "  "  Then  lose  the 
Voivode  for  ever."  Marita  said:  "I  will  obey."  When  she 

p 


210  The  Church  Builder, 

entered  the  garden,  she  smiled j  when  she  mounted  the 
steps,  she  sighed ;  when  she  pushed  the  door  open,  she 
wept,  for,  in  the  middle  of  her  own  chamber,  and  on  her 
own  husband's  knee,  a  proud  dame  dressed  in  gorgeous 
attire  stood  and  said:  "  Come  here,  poor  maiden !  What  is 
thy  name?"  "Smea,"  answered  Marita,and  the  name  which 
meant  a  dragon's  daughter  had  come  uncalled  to  her  lips. 
"  O  husband,  noble  husband,  I  too  might  wear  the  pretty 
name  of  the  poor  maiden,"  and  she  turned  her  face  towards 
Marita,  and  then  Marita  stared  as  she  held  her  breath,  for 
she  saw  her  own  former  self  stand  before  her,  and  she 
understood  the  kind  dragon's  trick,  and  forgave  her  dear 
husband  for  the  love  he  showed  the  dame  who  was  her 
own  image  and  had  her  own  voice.  Days  of  sore  trial 
were  in  store  for  her.  The  false  Princess  was  a  wicked 
dame,  who  scolded  and  fretted  from  morning  till  night, 
and  never  gave  poor  Smea  one  moment's  peace.  One  day 
she  spoke  so  harshly  that  Smea  let  big  tears  roll  down  her 
cheeks.  The  Voivode  entered  and  asked  kindly:  "Why 
does  poor  Smea  weep?"  and  the  furious  Princess  got  into 
a  hot  rage  and  said:  "  Husband,  don't  interfere."  The 
Voivode  said:  "  Ah!  those  were  happy  days,  Marita,  when 
thou  wast  as  soft  as  the  wool  on  thy  distaff.  What  has 
altered  thy  mood?  "  and  Smea  sprang  up  and  said:  "  I,  too, 
know  a  good  Princess,  Prince,  and  now  the  Princess  is 
wicked."  And  three  months  glided  on  and  in  sore  grief 
and  pain  Smea  who  was  once  Marita  watched  the  day 
when  her  dear  husband  would  take  her  back  to  his  bosom 


The  Church  Builder.  211 

and  discard  the  hateful  stranger.  And  still  that  day  did  not 
come.  She  tried  to  keep  cheerful,  but  sore  was  the  task. 
One  morning  the  wicked  Princess  went  out  to  a  big  hunt 
with  the  Voivode,  for  he  so  pitied  Smea  that  he  took  his 
wife  away  from  the  palace  as  long  as  he  could.  Then 
Smea,  in  wild  joy  to  be  by  herself  once  again  in  her  own 
palace,  ran  to  her  mirror,  and  lo!  as  she  looked  into  the 
mirror,  she  gradually  resumed  her  former  features.  And  she 
put  on  her  golden  chains  and  began  to  cry  and  to  sing 
aloud.  "O,  hast  thou  come  back  at  last?"  said  the  little 
mirror.  "  How  pleased  I  am  to  reflect  thy  image !  Thou 
canst  not  imagine  how  mirrors  hate  cross  faces,  and  the 
new  Princess's  face  is  always  cross.  But  tell  me  why  thou 
hast  been  away."  And  Smea  sang  to  her  mirror  her  sad,  sad 
tale.  And  between  each  sentence  she  said:  "  O,  if  the  Voi- 
vode could  know,  the  Voivode  would  forgive."  Now  it  so 
happened  that  the  Voivode  and  the  wicked  Princess  came 
home  much  earlier  than  they  had  said  they  would,  and 
they  heard  some  one  sing  in  the  Princess's  bower.  The 
Voivode  heard  the  voice,  and  heard  the  words;  he  entered 
and  saw  his  real  wife,  and  clasped  her  to  his  breast,  while 
the  dragon's  daughter  raged  and  fumed  and  scolded  dragon- 
wise.  The  Voivode  stood  perplexed;  what  could  he  do 
with  the  wicked  creature  who  had  embittered  his  days?  Now 
his  gentle  wife  had  returned,  he  was  happy,  but  sore  per- 
plexed. The  old  green  dragon  arrived  and  said:  "  Alas!  she 
is  immortal,  because  she 's  of  my  blood.  I'll  marry  her  to 
some  bad  wizard;  she'll  drive  him  mad,  but  she's  fair." 


212  Barbu  and  the  Raven. 


BARBU  AND  THE  RAVEN. 

A  TZIGANE  TALE. 

Barbu  the  tzigane  possessed  naught  but  his  violin  and 
his  black  raven;  with  his  violin  he  went  playing  from 
village  to  village,  from  door  to  door,  till  he  gained  a  few 
copper  pieces ;  his  raven  served  him  for  another  purpose. 
He  called  him  Mihalake!  and  taught  him  all  kinds  of 
tricks.  Barbu  the  tzigane  had  many  defects,  but  he  also 
had  one  great  quality;  he  never  stole  big  things — only 
here  and  there  a  small  ring,a  small  watch-chain,a  tiny  purse 
with  tiny  silver  coins  in  it.  "  What  would  be  the  use,"  said 
he,  "  to  take  from  people  the  objects  that  are  dearest  to  their 
eyes  because  more  conspicuous?  Who  would  miss  such  a 
little  purse,  such  a  small  ring?"  and  Barbu  felt  quite 
innocent  when  he  acted  thus.  Besides,  he  never  roused  any 
suspicion :  he  was  so  sweet-tempered  and  so  jolly  and  so 
poor — he  wore  a  shirt  torn  at  the  elbows  and  his  fur  cap 
had  as  many  holes  in  it  as  the  moon.  He  was  invited  in  a 
village  to  play  at  the  wedding  of  the  priest's  eldest 
daughter,  and  Barbu  played  the  whole  night  till  his 
fingers  drew  sparkles  out  of  the  violin,  and  no  one  could 
remember  he  had  ceased  playing  one  single  minute.  Yet 
the  next  day  a  gold  ring  was  missing  among  the  bride's 


Barbu  and  the  Raven,  2 1 3 

presents,  and  so  one  who  knew  not  poor  unselfish  Barbu 
was  rude  enough  to  suggest  he  might  have  taken  the  ring 
again.  There  was  deep  indignation  as  this  was  heard,  but 
the  priest,  a  keen  man,  said:  "  Let  us  pay  a  visit  to  Barbu's 
hut;  maybe  he  has  taken  the  ring  by  mistake."  .  .  . 

Barbu  saw  a  great  number  of  people  coming  towards 
his  hut,  and  he  had  no  time  left  to  run  and  hide  himself 
underground,  because  in  general  he  lived  in  a  cave  behind 
the  hovel;  so  he  walked  up  to  meet  the  visitors,  and  the 
priest  said:  "Master  Barbu,  we  have  something  very 
serious  to  tell  you.  A  gold  ring  is  missing — my  daughter's 
ring.  We  well  know  an  honest  tzigane  like  you  does  not 
take  a  gold  ring;  but  you  are  clever,  will  you  help  us  to 
find  it?  For  instance,  the  ring  might  have  been  curious 
to  know  your  home,  and  have  come  all  this  way  on  pur- 
pose. Will  you  help  us  to  seek  it  in  your  hovel  and  in  the 
underground  room  where  you  sleep?  "  "  O  do  not  take  the 
trouble  to  search  in  vain.  I  have  my  friend  the  raven,  a 
most  sagacious  bird,  and  I  will  consult  him  about  the  ring." 
So  Barbu  called  the  raven,  who,  perched  upon  his  shoulder, 
stooped  towards  his  ears.  The  tzigane  exclaimed:  "A 
wonderful  tale;  the  raven  owns  he  has  taken  the  ring,  as  one 
of  his  aunts,  an  old  crow  who  has  long  remained  a  spinster, 
is  going  to  be  married  to-morrow,  and  the  raven  thought 
he  might  offer  her  the  present.  I  will  punish  the  wicked 
treacherous  brute;  here  is  the  ring";  and  Barbu  drew  the 
ring  from  his  bosom,  where  he  said  the  raven  had  dropped 
it,  and  the  priest  went  away  well  content  with  his  day's 


2 1 4  Barbu  and  the  Raven. 

work,  and  pouring  compliments  on  Barbu  for  his  clever- 
ness in  getting  the  ring  back  from  the  bird.  A  few  months 
later,  at  a  funeral  where  Barbu  had  gone  to  get  some  of 
the  wine  distributed  in  memory  of  the  dead,  the  very  boots 
of  the  dead  man  disappeared,  and  they  had  to  bury  the 
corpse  barefooted,  and  all  the  peasants  wept  and  said: 
"  Poor  man,  it  was  his  only  chance  to  wear  a  pair  of  boots." 
This  time  an  angry  mob  assembled  before  Barbu's  hut, 
and  he  got  pale  and  trembled;  but  his  wits  did  not  abandon 
him  on  this  occasion  either.  He  stepped  out  and  wrung 
his  hands  and  said:  "  Good  people,  I  know  why  you  come 
and  shriek.  The  man  has  gone  to  his  grave  without 
boots;  he  will  not  be  able  to  reach  Heaven;  he  will  stop 
half-way.  Alas!  alas!  I  saw  with  my  own  eyes  the  devil 
step  in  while  we  were  drinking  and  take  his  boots  off.  I 
suppose  he  had  an  old  debt  to  the  devil.  But  1  am  not  a 
man  to  be  outdone  by  the  devil.  I  followed  the  wicked 
fellow  and  traced  him  to  the  banks  of  the  river,  and  I 
was  just  about  to  lay  hands  on  him  when  he  plunged  in 
the  water,  and  was  drowned.  The  boots  are  all  that  re- 
main ;  they're  in  the  river,  friends.  Swim  and  catch  them, 
and  I  will  help  you  to  do  so,  and  the  boots  will  belong  to 
him  who  finds  them."  With  one  shout  of  enthusiasm  they 
accepted  the  proposition,  and  Barbu  dived  madly  in  the 
river  and  the  others  followed,  and  in  fact  they  saw 
on  the  water  a  couple  of  shoes  float  which  they  tried  to 
reach.  Barbu,  notwithstanding  his  efforts,  stayed  in  the 
rear.    At  last  one  of  the  village  youngsters  got  the  shoes, 


Barbu  and  the  Raven.  215 

and  was  disappointed  to  find  they  were  torn  and  useless. 
"Why,  the  dead  man  had  a  new  pair  of  shoes  he  had  bought 
years  before  and  kept  for  his  burial-day.  He  carried  them 
in  his  hands  on  Sundays  and  great  occasions.  These  are 
almost  good  for  nothing.  They  cannot  be  the  same  shoes." 
"Alas ! "  said  Barbu,  "  they  are;  but  reflect,  young  man,  the 
devil  himself  wore  them;  the  devil  has  a  forked  foot,  and 
the  earth  where  he  walks  is  on  fire,  so  his  toes  came  out 
of  the  leather ;  and,  besides,  the  soles  are  burnt.  Yet  take 
these  boots  home  and  wear  them  in  peace.  It  is  not  every 
one  who  can  say  he  walks  in  the  devil's  old  shoes."  "  True," 
shouted  the  peasants,  and  in  triumph  they  went  away. 
When  they  were  out  of  sight  Barbu  drew  a  fine  pair  of 
new  boots  from  his  cave,  and  looked  at  them  and  smiled 
broadly,  and  he  said:  "  Nay,  dead  man's  shoes,  ye  are  but 
ordinary  shoes,  but  ye  will  be  the  devil's  own  shoes  when 
Barbu  the  tzigane  will  wear  ye." 


2 1 6         Sister  Life  and  Sister  Death. 


SISTER  LIFE  AND  SISTER  DEATH. 

Tell  this  tale  once  more  before  sunset. 
Wilt  thou  tell  this  tale  again? 

Sister  Life  was  a  poor  young  maid  whose  youngest  sister 
was  called  Sister  Death; 
They  lived  side  by  side  on  the  banks  of  a  river. 
Sister  Life  was  poor  and  had  but  a  small  cottage, 

With  a  small  garden  round  the  walls; 
The  cottage  was  turned  towards  the  setting  sun. 
Sister  Death  had  a  big,  bright  palace. 
And  a  garden  most  pleasant  and  large, 

And  her  palace  was  turned  towards  the  place  where 

the  dear  sun  rises. 

Sister  Life  was  fair  to  behold,  but  far  more  beautiful  was 

Sister  Death,  and  far  more  sweet  and  gracious; 

Sister  Life  had  but  one  flower  in  her  garden,  and  in  the 

large  garden  of  Sister  Death 
Thousands  of  flowers  smiled  and  grew. 
From  the  rich  balcony  of  the  palace,  from  the  humble 
stone  threshold  of  the  cot, 
Sister  Life  and  Sister  Death  often  conversed  together, 
and  as  Sister  Life  was  so  poor 


Sister  Life  and  Sister  Death.         217 

Sister  Death  sometimes  gave  her  some  work  to  finish  and 

some  present. 
They  were  happy  in  their  own  way  and  no  one  inter- 
fered with  them; 
And  they  loved  each  other  well. 
But  a  young  man  came  one  day  who  asked  Sister  Death 
for  a  glass  of  water, 
For  he  was  weary  and  warm. 
And  Sister  Death  smiled  on  him  and  gave  him  the  water, 
And  saw  he  was  handsome  and  young, 
And  touched  his  glowing  hair,  and  touched  his  lips, 
And  felt  she  loved  him,  so  she  said :  "  Stop  here, 
My  palace  is  bright  and  my  garden  large,  and  I  can  quench 
thy  thirst 
With  pure  water  from  my  well." 
And  he  was  fain   to  stay;    and  Sister  Death  from  her 
balcony  said  to  Sister  Life : 
"  Sister  Life,  I  am  happy,  my  love  now  stays  with  me, 
And  I  touch  his  glowing  hair  and  his  lips." 
"I  would  like  to  see  him,  Sister  Death." 
"It  is  impossible  just  now,  for  he's  asleep;  but  when  he 
awakes  I'll  call  thee  to  see  my  love  is  fair." 
But  Sister  Death  never  called,  and  Sister  Life  under- 
stood she  was  jealous,  and  spoke  not  a  word  again 
Of  the  handsome  young  man. 
Now  Sister  Death's  young  lover  stepped  out  on  the  high 
balcony 
That  o'erlooked  the  small  garden  of  Sister  Life, 


2 1 8  Sister  Life  and  Sister  Death. 

And  he  saw  that  in  the  garden  there  was  but  one  flower, 
And  he  said :  "  I  would  like  to  breathe  its  perfume  and 

to  know  its  name." 
So  he  went  down  the  steps  and  entered  the  small  garden 
Where  Sister  Life  slept  under  a  high  rose-tree, 
And  he  looked  not  at  the  maiden,  but  breathed  the 
flower's  sweet  breath,  and  thought  he  would  die 
with  joy, 
So  deep  was  its  perfume. 
And  then  he  looked  at  Sister  Life, 
And  instantly  he  loved  her  as  he  had  never  loved. 

And  when  he  went  to  the  palace  of  Sister  Death  he 

told  her: 
"  Under  a  rose-tree  in  that  small  garden  there  a  maiden 

sleeps ; 
I  know  not  who  she  is,  and  yet  I  love  her  and  must 

leave  thee,  Lady  Death." 
Sister    Death   wrung  her  hands   and  wept  and   said: 

"  Beware, 
The  maiden  is  poor  ;  she  has  but  one  flower  in  her 

garden." 
"  Hast  thou  ever  taken  in  that  sweet  flower's  breath, 

To  know  what  bliss  lives  on  earth  ? " 
"  O  no,"  said  Sister  Death,  "  that  one  flower's  breath 
Would  kill  me." 
But  he  stopped  not  to  listen,  and  before  Sister  Death  could 
lock  the  door 
Her  handsome  lover  was  gone. 


Sister  Life  and  Sister  Death,         219 

She  wept  and  tore  her  hair,  and  cut  down  the  flowers  in 
her  garden,  and  said : 
"  Ye  must  die  because  that  one  flower's  breath 
Hath  taken  him  away  from  me." 
And  the  people  who  passed  on  the  road  heard 
Sister  Death  cry  aloud,  while  her  palace  trembled. 
And  she  covered  her  face  with  her  hair. 
Her  handsome  lover  was  gone. 


22o  The  Tzigane,  the  Voivode, 


THE  TZIGANE,  THE  VOIVODE,  AND  THE 
ENCHANTED   WHISTLE. 

Manole,  the  tzigane,  wept  bitterly  and  wrung  his  hands 
in  deep  despair.  His  tziganca,  his  darling  wife,  was  dying. 
There  she  lay,  on  the  straw  he  had  got  for  her  from  a 
neighbouring  stack.  And  he  said  to  her:  "  Thou  art  dying. 
A  few  more  minutes  and  thou  wilt  see  thy  dear  priest,  the 
devil,  face  to  face.  Thou  wilt  have  a  jolly  time  telling  him 
all  thou  hast  done  on  earth,  but  ah  me  !  what  shall  I  become? 
who  will  work  for  me  and  steal  fat  poultry,  and  arrange 
charms  and  bow  the  peasants  down  before  our  power 
when  they  come  to  ask  for  help,  and  thou  givest  them 
herbs  and  black  water  in  a  little  bottle?  Ah  me!"  The 
tziganca,  though  very  weak,  answered  in  a  feeble  voice: 
"  Yes,  Manole,  I  am  happy  to  meet  the  devil,  but  wretched 
to  leave  thee,  my  earthly  devil,  my  dark  one.  We  are  poor, 
and  I  cannot  teach  thee  my  art,  but  one  thing  I  will  be- 
queath that  may  prove  precious  if  made  good  use  of.  Take 
this  small  whistle,"  and  she  gave  him  a  tiny  whistle  made 
out  of  the  branch  of  a  hazel-nut  tree,  and  she  continued : 
"This  whistle  possesses  a  most  singular  gift:  when  a  man 
who  is  not  quite  honest,  a  thief  I  mean,  enters  the  room 
where  this  whistle  is,  it  whistles  in  a  low,  discreet  way." 


and  the  Enchanted  Whistle.  221 

"  Ah  !  "  said  Manole,  "  now  I  have  the  explanation  of  the 
sound  I  ever  heard  when  I  came  home."  "  Right,"  said  the 
tziganca.  "  Of  course  to  thee  the  little  whistle  can  be  of  no 
use,  but  take  it  to  thy  master,  the  Voivode ;  he  will  give  thee 
at  least  four  gold  coins  for  it.  Another  word ;  the  enchanted 
whistle  is  rather  impertinent,  and  at  the  third  notice  given 
about  the  same  person  it  raises  a  shrill  voice  and  cries 
aloud:  'Manole  is  a  thief! ' "  "True,"  said  Manole,  "I  have 
often  heard  the  words,  but  thought  thou  wast  paying  a  com- 
pliment to  me,  dear  wife."  No  sooner  was  the  tziganca 
dead  than  Manole  put  the  small  whistle  in  his  bosom  and 
resorted  to  the  palace  of  the  Voivode,  whose  servants  and 
officials  at  first  made  great  difficulty  to  admit  him,  but  the 
tzigane  said  he  had  brought  a  wondrous  gift  to  the  Prince, 
and  besides,  his  every  step  as  he  entered  the  ante-room  was 
marked  by  a  shrill  sound  which  seemed  to  come  out  of  his 
bosom,  and  they  believed  it  was  the  voice  of  some  strange 
bird  their  master  would  be  pleased  to  possess.  So  he  was 
ushered  in.  As  soon  as  the  Voivode  perceived  Manole  in 
the  crowd,  he  laughed  and  said:  "  Welcome,  tzigane;  what 
is  thy  request  ?  "  "  To  speak  alone  five  minutes  to  thy  high- 
ness, and  to  kiss  the  dust  beneath  thy  slippers."  The 
Voivode  made  a  sign,  and  courtiers  and  servants  vanished. 
"Great  Prince,"  said  Manole,  "I  know  the  difficulties  of  thy 
situation.  May  God  uplift  thy  crown  above  all  its  enemies, 
and  wash  it  every  day  with  pure  milk,  milked  by  the  angels 
from  the  bosom  of  the  moon."  "  Amen,"  answered  the  Voi- 
vode, and  crossed  himself  piously.    "  I  have  brought  thee  a 


222  The  Tzigane ',  the  Voivode, 

means  to  help  thee  to  reign  even  more  gloriously  than  thou 
hast  done,  though  it  seems  impossible.  Bless  thy  eyelids, 
thy  lips  and  thy  toes, and  thy  sinless  brains."  "Speak  freely," 
said  the  Voivode.  "  Princes  are  often  deceived — they  are 
so  dazzled  by  the  light  of  God,  their  brother,  who  al- 
ways shines  before  their  eyes,  that  their  eyes  are  sometimes 
heedless  of  grosser  things.  God  speaks  to  them  so  often  and 
so  loud  that  they  hear  not  the  mean  talk  of  the  rabble." 
"  True,"  said  the  Voivode.  "  Go  on,  tzigane."  "  So  I  have 
brought  a  most  wondrous  gift  to  thee,"  and  he  drew  the  little 
whistle  from  his  bosom.  "  This  whistle  will  whistle  every 
timealiar  or  a  traitor  orathief  comes  into  thy  sacred  presence. 
It  is  no  devil's  work.  It  has  dwelt  three  days  in  holy  water." 
"  Art  thou  sure  of  this?  "  said  the  Voivode.  "  As  sure  as 
that  I  stand  an  unkempt  and  unwashed  tzigane  before  the 
face  of  a  mighty  Prince."  "  What  shall  I  give  thee  in  ex- 
change for  the  wonderful  present  ?  "  "  Only  four  poor  gold 
coins,  four  little  gold  coins,  mighty  Prince."  "And  how 
shall  I  know  thou  playest  not  a  deceit  upon  me  ?  "  u  Mighty 
Prince,  I  will  go  out  of  thy  dazzling  presence,  and  when  I 
return,  as  your  tzigane  has  his  failings  (God  knows  your 
tzigane  is  honest,  but  he  has  his  failings),  the  whistle  will 
whistle  when  I  re-enter  the  room."  And  Manole  went  out, 
and  as  he  returned  the  whistle  in  the  Voivode's  fingers  gave 
a  low  whistle,  and  the  Voivode,  well  content,  handed  the 
four  gold  pieces,  and  the  tzigane  left  the  palace  in  great  glee. 
The  Voivode  was  still  happier  than  Manole.  "Ah !  my  true 
councillors,"  he  said,  "and  chamberlains  and  equerries,  ah! 


and  the  Enchanted  IV hist le.  223 

my  messengers  from  and  to  the  people,  I  will  now  know 
all  the  truth  about  your  secret  designs,"  and  he  rang  the 
bell  and  ordered  his  court  to  assemble  again  round  him; 
but  when  they  in  procession  advanced  towards  the  throne 
the  little  whistle  got  into  such  a  state  of  trepidation  and 
whistled  so  the  Voivode  was  obliged  to  hide  it  in  an  iron 
box,  and  from  its  depths  the  shrill  sound  was  still  heard. 
The  Voivode  laughed  to  himself  and  then  said  aloud:  "  To- 
day in  the  afternoon  I  will  hold  council  with  my  faithful 
councillors  in  the  left  wing  of  the  palace;  let  the  ten 
whom  I  trust  among  thousands  attend  my  orders  to-day." 
Then  he  retired  with  a  smile  of  satisfaction  on  his  clever 
face,  and  the  councillors  and  the  courtiers  whispered  to 
each  other:  "What  has  happened  to  our  gracious  Prince? 
He  looks  as  well  pleased  as  if  a  tenth  son  was  born  this 
morning  under  his  princely  roof,  or  has  he  dreamt  that 
his  warriors  have  brought  him  the  head  of  his  fiercest 
enemy,  or  has  he  found  the  secret  of  everlasting  youth  ?  " 
The  councillors  looked  grim:  "We  tremble  when  our 
Prince  is  gay,"  said  the  oldest  to  his  colleagues.  As  the 
Voivode  came  and  seated  himself  at  the  council-table 
they  all  looked  grim  and  anxious.  The  head  councillor 
rose  and  made  a  short  speech,  which  was  more  than  once 
interrupted  by  a  sharp  whistle.  "  It  is  nothing,"  said  the 
Prince,  "  a  passing  trick  from  my  parrot,"  but  to  his  own 
terrified  surprise,  before  the  man  had  finished  his  sayings,  a 
clear  voice  said,  which  seemed  to  dart  like  an  arrow : 
"  Prince,  your  head  councillor  is  a  traitor."  At  which  the 


224  The  Tzigane,  the  Voivode, 

head  councillor  turned  red  and  then  pale,  and  swore  and 
stamped  his  foot,  and  finally  the  council  was  broken  up  in 
the  greatest  confusion.  Now  the  Prince  felt  somewhat 
annoyed ;  how  was  he  to  seek  for  another  man  ?  and  the 
whistle  had  rendered  him  a  very  bad  service  on  the  whole. 
He  would  use  it  only  in  his  household,  and  only  wore  it 
in  his  belt  as  he  went  to  pay  a  morning  visit  to  his  dear 
wife  Balasa;  but  no  sooner  did  he  enter  her  bower  than  the 
whistle  again  made  him  start!  "  Impossible,"  said  he,  "  this 
cannot  be.  Balasa  is  a  faithful  wife";  but  while  the  Princess 
greeted  him,  and  began  to  praise  the  aspect  and  the  doings 
of  her  lord,  the  whistle  spoke  loudly:  "  Prince,  the  Princess 
deceives  thee;  she  loves  another  man."  ThePrincessturned 
red  and  pale,  and  looked  so  guilty,  the  Prince's  suspicions 
grew  to  reality,  and  after  being  cross-questioned  she  owned 
part  of  the  truth.  And  in  sore  pain  she  had  to  leave  the 
palace,  and  go  to  a  convent  for  the  rest  of  her  days.  The 
Prince  wept  and  sighed  in  the  bitterness  of  his  heart;  yet 
still  he  clung  to  the  enchanted  whistle,  and  could  not  part 
with  the  fatal  gift. 

Life  had  become  intolerable  in  his  palace.  The  servants 
and  equerries  were  sent  away  by  dozens,  and  the  Prince 
never  smiled,  and  ever  and  anon  seemed  to  listen  for  the 
mysterious  sound.  He  had  got  thin  and  restless;  the 
gorgeous  vestments  he  wore  and  his  heavy  rings  fell  from 
him  like  dead  leaves,  and  in  his  black  hair  silver  threads  were 
seen.  u  All  this  change  has  come  since  the  day  when  the 
tzigane  asked  to  see  our  Prince.    The  tzigane  must  have 


and  the  Enchanted  Whistle.  225 

thrown  some  spell  upon  him."  So  they  went  to  find  Manole, 
and  they  promised  to  load  him  with  gold  if  he  could  but 
cure  the  Voivode  of  his  present  illness.  Manole  went  to 
the  palace  and  said  to  the  Prince:  "Most  enlightened  and 
beaming  highness,  an  it  please  thee,  return  the  whistle  to 
thy  humble  servant.  I  have  heard  from  a  very  sagacious 
wizard,  in  my  hut  only  does  the  whistle  speak  the  truth ;  but 
in  the  palace,  by  the  side  of  such  great  courtiers,  in  the  belt 
of  such  a  great  Prince,  it  has  lost  its  senses,  it  has  learnt  to 
lie."  "What,"  said  the  Prince,  "art  thou  sure  the  whistle  is  a 
liar?"  "Yes,"  said  Manole;  and  the  Prince  immediately 
ordered  the  Princess  to  come  back,  and  kissed  her  in  great 
glee,  and  he  called  all  his  courtiers  around  him  and  said : 
"Forgive  me  for  having  sent  ye  away  from  my  service,"  and 
he  felt  like  one  mad  with  joy ;  and  Manole  took  the  whistle 
and  said:  "Foolish  whistle,  thou  hast  been  mad  indeed  to 
speak  the  truth  in  the  palace  of  a  Prince.  Come  back  to 
my  hut,  and  in  the  red  folds  of  my  woollen  belt."  The 
whistle  said  :  "  Take  me  back  to  the  court,  and  I  will  speak 
otherwise";  but  Manole  would  not  run  the  risk  of  another 
adventure,  so  remained  quietly  in  his  hut  to  rejoice  over  the 
money  he  had  received  from  the  courtiers.  The  Voivode, 
one  Sunday  morning  on  his  way  to  church,  passed  before 
Manole's  hut.  He  recognized  the  tzigane  on  the  threshold, 
and  called  to  him  :  "  Where  is  thy  whistle  ?  Thou  sayest  he 
says  the  truth  in  thy  hut.  I  will  alight,  and  hear."  Manole 
trembled  while  he  ushered  the  Prince  in.  The  little  whistle 
was  suspended  on  a  nail  over  the  door,  and  as  soon  as  the 

Q 


226  The  Enchanted  Whistle. 

Prince  entered  it  whistled  thrice  and  said:  "Handsome 
Prince,  thou  art  true  and  brave ;  thy  courtiers  are  true ;  thy 
wife  is  beautiful  and  true;  thy  subjects  are  true  to  thee, 
and  thy  own  heart  is  truer  even  than  the  rays  of  the  sun." 
"  Verily,"  said  the  Prince,  "  I  had  often  heard  from  pulpit 
and  tribune  that  truth  abides  only  with  the  humble  and 
the  poor.  Now  here  I  find  this  saying  has  not  deceived 
me.  I  thank  the  goodness  of  the  Lord,  who  teaches  me  to 
love  and  revere  truth ;  the  air  in  my  Palace  is  polluted ; 
whatever  the  enchanted  whistle  said  then,  was  a  lie;  now 
in  this  wretched  hut  lives  truth."  And  he  bestowed  great 
treasures  upon  Manole,  and  told  him  in  gentle  tones : 
"  Come  to  our  court,  good  tzigane,  but  leave  thy  whistle  in 
this  place,  where  I  will  ever  run  to  consult  its  enchanted 
sagacity;  the  whistle  will  always  prove  my  best  and  sin- 
cerest  guide."  Manole  said:  "Little  whistle,  thou  hast  won 
immense  wealth  for  me;  it  must  console  thee  for  not  being 
truthful."  And  he  blessed  the  memory  of  the  tziganca,  his 
dead  wife. 


Hie  and  Fauna.  227 


ILIE  AND  PAUNA. 

There  was  sadness  over  all  the  land — the  King  had 
married  for  the  second  time,  and  his  new  wife  was  as 
wicked  as  the  first  one  had  been  gentle.  She  made  the 
court  mad  with  her  caprices,  and  broke  the  heart  of  her  aged 
husband  ;  yet  he  loved  her,  and  dared  not  to  contradict  any 
of  her  whims.  So  every  one  was  exposed  to  the  ill-humour 
and  wrath  of  the  Queen.  Her  handmaid  was  a  cunning 
sorceress,  whom  the  people  soon  called  the  devil's  first 
cousin,  and  with  this  woman  the  Queen  spent  her  nights 
in  mischievous  designs,  which  she  accomplished  during  the 
day.  The  Queen  hated  all  that  was  young,  pure,  and  brave ; 
therefore  she  hated  bitterly  her  husband's  son,  Prince  Hie, 
the  heir  to  the  throne,  a  handsome  boy  of  eighteen,  who 
despised  the  Queen  and  her  menaces.  So  the  Queen  said 
to  her  faithful  handmaid :  "  I  must  get  rid  of  his  presence, 
and  deprive  him  of  his  rights."  "But,  madam,  it  is  impos- 
sible to  kill  Prince  Hie.  He  is  popular  more  than  the  King 
himself,  and  every  suspicion  would  fall  upon  us,  and  we 
would  be  torn  to  pieces  by  the  mob,  or  trodden  by  wild 
horses."  "  I  know,  I  know,"  answered  the  wicked  Queen, 
"but  find  the  means  to  destroy  him  without  killing."  Three 
days  the  devil's  first  cousin  reflected  and  wandered  through 


228  Hie  and  Fauna. 

the  woods,  and  at  the  end  of  the  three  days  she  told  her  royal 
mistress  she  had  arranged  an  admirable  plan  in  her  mind. 
But  the  Queen  must  be  cautious,  and  show  much  amiability 
to  the  Prince  in  order  to  make  the  plot  succeed.  This  the 
Queen  promised  to  do,  and  from  that  moment  she  ceased  her 
persecutions  towards  Hie,  and  the  boy  felt  glad,  and  walked 
with  happy  visage  his  father's  halls.  "  Surely,"  thought  he, 
"  the  Queen  is  at  heart  a  much  better  woman  than  we  ever 
deemed  her  to  be,  surely  we  have  misjudged  her ! "  A  month 
and  more  was  thus  spent  pleasantly  at  the  King's  court, 
and  the  Queen  invented  all  kinds  of  sports  and  revels  to 
amuse  the  King  and  her  son-in-law.  At  last  she  seemed  to 
be  at  her  wits'  end  for  new  devices,  when  she  struck  her 
forehead  with  her  fingers  and  exclaimed:  u  Splendid  idea! 
let  us  have  a  silver  barge  and  a  gold  barge  illumined,  and 
try  a  race  on  the  big  river."  The  king  hesitated:  "I  am 
afraid  it  would  be  dangerous  sport,  my  dear.  The  river  is 
swollen  by  recent  rains,  and  always  impetuous  like  a  torrent. 
I  wish  thou  would'st  think  of  another  pastime,"  but  the 
Queen  had  set  her  heart  on  the  matter,  and  the  two  barges 
beautifully  ornamented  soon  awaited  their  royal  occupants. 
In  the  gilded  barge  the  Queen  and  the  King  took  places, 
and  in  the  other  the  Prince  with  twelve  oarsmen,  and  before 
they  left  the  Queen  sent  them  fruit  and  rich  wine,  which 
they  drank  in  high  glee.  Then  the  race  began ;  and  soon 
the  Prince's  barge  got  ahead  of  the  royal  boat,  and  the  King 
laughed  to  note  his  son  had  more  luck  and  more  skill  than 
himself,  for  the  King  steered  the  gilded  barge  with  his  own 


Hie  and  Fauna,  229 

hands.  Then  he  gave  the  return  signal  and  said:  "Now  the 
Prince  will  get  a  beautifully  embroidered  belt  for  his  skill, 
and  I  will  give  each  oarsman  a  purse  full  of  coins  and  a 
silver  bugle."  But  the  signal  flew  over  the  waters  in  vain. 
The  Prince's  barge  did  not  return.  For  hours  the  river 
was  searched,  for  hours  the  people  wept  on  its  banks,  and 
the  King  tore  his  gray  hair  and  his  purple  vestments,  and 
in  her  dainty  kerchief  the  Queen  hid  her  fair  face  and  wept. 
No  traces  of  the  princely  boat  could  be  found,  though  no 
one  could  believe  the  Prince  and  his  twelve  oarsmen  were 
drowned.  The  desolation  was  so  great  no  one  dared  enter 
the  King's  presence  for  ten  days,  and  for  ten  days  the 
Queen  remained  shut  up  in  her  bower,  and  conversed 
with  her  favourite  handmaid ;  and  they  whispered  and  said 
to  each  other:  "  They  all  slept  so  fast  that  the  current  has 
taken  the  boat  away  to  a  distant  shore.  He  will  never  be 
seen  again! " 

Pauna,  the  fair  daughter  of  the  Voivode,  was  sitting  in 
the  moonlight  on  the  banks  of  the  river,  her  spindle  in 
her  hand,  her  distaff  in  her  belt,  while  the  maidens  around 
her  filled  the  silvery  hours  with  tales  of  valour  and  love. 
A  wandering  shepherd's  flute  was  heard  from  the  neigh- 
bouring hill,  and  the  water  laughed  and  sighed  by  turns  as 
it  glided  at  their  feet  beneath  the  tall  reeds.  The  maidens 
who  sat  around  the  young  Princess  were  twelve  maidens 
fair,  but  fairer  than  Pauna  was  none  as  she  listened  to 
their  words,  and  sighed  and  laughed  by  turns  like  the 
water  between  the  reeds.    "O  look!"  exclaimed  she,  and 


230  Hie  and  Fauna. 

rose  to  her  feet,  "look  there,  a  wonderful  barge  as  sil- 
very as  the  river  and  the  moon  glides  swiftly."  And  the 
maidens  all  rose,  and  they  saw  the  handsome  Prince  asleep 
among  the  sleeping  oarsmen,  and  they  said:  "  O  who  will 
stop  the  wandering  boat  ?  Is  the  young  man  dead,  and  dead 
his  companions,  the  young  man  who  must  be  their  chief?" 
"Then,  if  he  is  dead,"  said  Pauna,  "  let  us  kiss  his  brow 
and  his  hands  from,  sheer  pity  for  his  youth,"  and  she  threw 
her  spindle  towards  the  river,  and  it  alighted  on  the  boat's 
high  prow,  and  the  boat  slowly  turned  from  its  course 
and  approached  the  moonlit  banks.  But  when  the  boat 
had  come  quite  close  to  them  the  maidens  stood  in  con- 
fusion great  and  in  sore  dismay,  for  they  found  out  the 
Prince  and  his  oarsmen,  though  they  softly  breathed, 
could  not  be  awakened  either  by  gesture  or  word.  And 
besides,  they  felt  the  boat  would  soon  drift  away  again, 
as  their  joint  forces  could  not  retain  it  nor  anchor  it  to 
the  shore.  Then  Pauna  said:  "Bid  my  father  fare  well, 
and  may  ye  too  fare  well,  my  twelve  maidens,  but  I 
must  away  with  this  sleeping  youth,  for  I  feel  my  fate 
is  bound  to  his  fate."  And  the  maidens  wept  and  fell 
on  their  knees  in  the  wet  sand,  but  Pauna  would  not 
hearken  tears  and  prayers,  and  stepped  into  the  silvery 
barge,  and  soon  the  current  carried  them  afar.  For 
months  she  lived  on  the  waters,  kissed  the  sleeping  Prince, 
for  months  gazed  on  his  face  and  gently  kissed  his  hands, 
for  months  she  smoothed  the  purple  pillows  under  his 
languid  head,  and  watched  his  twelve  companions  as  they 


Hie  and  Fauna.  231 

slumbered  by  his  side.  And  in  her  palace  the  wicked 
Queen  rejoiced  as  the  mourning  for  the  Prince  was  over, 
and  the  King,  sad  and  worn,  yet  gracious  to  his  wife,  had 
ordered  every  one  to  resume  his  office,  and  her  life  sped 
gaily  on.  In  secret  the  people  said :  "  O  what  has  become 
of  our  dear  young  Prince  ?"  and  looked  at  the  Queen  with 
angry  eyes.  The  royal  pair  avoided  the  shores  of  the 
great  river,  and  the  river's  sound  was  kept  away  from 
them  by  the  murmur  of  incessant  music.  And  when  the 
year  had  passed  and  the  day  come  which  marked  the 
anniversary  of  Princellie's  disappearance,  the  Queen  said  to 
the  King:  "  We  will  have  a  large  supper  where  all  the  poor 
in  the  land  will  be  invited  to  eat  and  drink  and  bless  thy 
dear  son's  memory."  And  thus  it  came  the  King  and 
Queen  were  seated  in  their  banquet  hall  with  hundreds 
around  them  when  a  page  came  in  and  said ;  "  Royal  lord, 
a  fair  maid  is  there  in  the  garden,  and  in  her  arms,  though 
she  is  slim  and  weak,  she  bears  a  slumbering  youth."  u  My 
lord,"  said  the  Queen,  "and  wilt  thou  allow  strangers  to 
trespass  on  this  sacred  meal?"  and  she  made  a  sign,  and 
bugles  covered  the  page's  voice.  A  few  minutes  passed; 
then  silence  fell,  and  the  doors  of  the  hall  were  thrown 
open,  and  on  the  threshold  Pauna  appeared  with  the 
Prince's  slumbering  head  on  her  heart.  And  she  laid 
him  at  his  father's  feet  and  said:  "I  have  carried  him 
hither  from  the  shore,  and  my  arms  are  weary.  O  great 
King, look  and  tell  who  can  this  young  man  be?"  "My son, 
my  darling,  my  own  son,  Prince  Hie,"  and  shouts  of  joy 


232  Hie  and  Fauna. 

made  the  roof  and  the  walls  tremble,  while  the  Queen 
trembled  in  wrath  and  fear. 

Pauna  said:  aHe  sleeps,  and  his  twelve  oarsmen  are  like- 
wise fast  asleep.  O  how  shall  we  awaken  them  to  life 
again  ?"  Then  an  old  warrior  who  was  present,  and  had  good 
reason  for  hating  the  Queen,  said  in  loud  tones:  "Let 
every  one  here  kiss  the  Prince's  fair  hand,  and  when  the 
foe  who  sent  him  to  sleep  will  touch  his  fingers  with 
traitorous  lip  the  Prince  will  rise."  And  the  procession 
began  from  the  lowest  beggar  seated  there  to  the  highest 
lord  till  the  false  Queen's  turn  arrived,  and  she  said: 
"  It  is  useless  I  should  kiss  the  Prince's  hand.  Am  I  not 
his  friend  and  mother?  How  can  I  have  wrought  him 
harm  ?"  But  a  cry  broke  out  from  the  crowd,  and  she  saw 
murder  in  the  eyes  bent  on  her  guilty  face.  So  she  ad- 
vanced and  stooped  towards  Hie,  but  her  lips  touched  not 
his  skin,  and  the  trial  was  almost  over.  But  the  old  man, 
who  was  sly  and  quick,  came  behind  the  kneeling  Queen, 
and  with  one  swift  stroke  on  her  neck  forced  her  to  kiss 
the  Prince's  open  palm,  and  all  at  once  the  Prince  opened 
his  eyes  and  said:  "  The  woman  who  sent  me  to  sleep  for 
one  long  year  has  just  touched  my  hand  with  her  lips." 
And  he  met  his  stepmother's  terrified  look,  and  he  said: 
"  Thou  shalt  not  die,  but  in  a  dungeon  dark  as  thy  own 
soul  for  one  long  year  must  thou  remain."  The  King  said: 
"So  be  it,  my  son";  and  the  weeping  Queen  was  borne 
away  from  the  fury  of  the  people.  The  King  said  to  his 
son:  "Rejoice,  fair  son,  but  for  the  treachery  of  that  wicked 


Hie  and  Fauna.  233 

woman  my  soul  would  be  as  smiling  as  a  vineyard  in 
September."  Yet  Hie  did  not  smile.  He  said  to  his  father: 
"  Dear  King,  wonder  not  if  my  mouth  bears  no  smile,  if  I 
cannot  be  gay  with  thee.  Yes,  here  is  my  palace,  my 
people,  my  warriors,  my  father,  my  breath.  Yet  in  my 
slumber  I  was  happier  by  far  than  now  in  my  wakeful 
hours,  where  all  I  had  lost  is  restored;  for  in  my  sleep  I 
saw  a  maiden  fair,  who  smoothed  the  purple  pillows  for 
my  head.  And  she  gazed  on  my  slumbering  visage  and 
sometimes  kissed  my  hand.  I  could  not  speak  to  her  nor 
stir,  but  I  heard  her  sigh  and  speak.  I  was  far  happier  in 
my  sleep."  Then  the  King  beckoned  to  Pauna,  who  had 
retired  bashfully  in  the  crowd :  a  Is  not  this  maid  alike  unto 
the  maiden  of  thy  dream?"  Prince  Hie  fell  at  Pauna's 
feet  and  said:  "  Fair  maid,  I  love  thee,  and  thou  shalt  be 
my  spouse  in  this  high  palace  even  should'st  thou  be  a 
ploughman's  daughter  or  the  sister  of  a  shepherd  who  lives 
in  the  mountains  and  sings."  Pauna  said:  "I  am  the  only 
daughter  of  a  wild  and  ruthless  Voivode.  He  lives  far 
from  here,  and  has  conquered  many  kingdoms.  He  is  cruel 
in  war  and  cruel  in  peace,  and  speaks  naught  but  of 
swords  and  wounds.  But  my  heart  is  soft,  and  he  turns 
to  me,  and  his  eyes  then  soften  and  dance.  Take  a  horse, 
a  sword,  and  thy  richest  spurs,  and  ride  to  my  father's  tent." 
And  Hie  rode  to  the  fierce  man's  tent,  and  entered  with 
golden  sound  of  spurs  and  sword  and  heavy  armour,  and 
looked  both  courteous  and  proud.  He  said:  "I  am  a  King's 
son  and  have  wooed  thy  daughter  fair."  "Alas ! "  answered 


234  Me  and  Pauna. 

the  Voivode, "  my  daughter  has  gone  for  ever."  "  Rejoice, 
Voivode,  thy  daughter  's  alive  !  I  have  come  to  sue  for  her 
hand."  The  Voivode  smiled  and  said :  M  Fair  Prince, 
Pauna  is  worthy  of  thee." 

And  thus  from  her  dark  dungeon  the  wicked  Queen 
heard  the  sound  of  lute  and  song,  and  in  her  wicked  soul 
she  said :  "  I  should  have  given  him  poison,  but  the  hand- 
maid was  false  to  me."  And  she  drew  her  long  hair  over 
her  guilty  face,  and  tore  her  long  hair  with  her  teeth. 


The  Tzigane  and  his  Wife.  235 


THE  TZIGANE  AND  HIS  WIFE. 

"  So,  dear,  I  am  dying,"  said  Andreia  the  tziganca  to  her 
husband,  Busuioc;  "but  never  mind,  I  will  often  come 
back  to  see  thee  when  I  am  in  my  grave.  I  could  not  bear 
the  idea  that  Busuioc  has  made  a  good  bargain,  stolen  a 
stout  pair  of  horses  from  the  farmer,  or  a  good  mantle  from 
the  merchant  in  town,  without  I  am  there  to  enjoy  his 
pleasure.  I  promise  thee  I  will  come."  "Do,"  said  Busuioc, 
because  he  would  not  disappoint  the  woman  by  showing 
her  he  would  soon  get  over  his  grief;  but  to  himself  he 
muttered :  "  Bah !  once  the  hard  stone  is  on  her  grave  and 
the  coffin  lid  on  her  face,  I  will  be  rid  of  her  and  her 
jealousy  and  her  screams.  I  will  marry  Sultanica  the 
dancer,  who  walks  on  her  finger-tips  and  delights  all  the 
fairs  in  the  country ;  Andreia  will  not  know,  as  she  will 
be  counting  the  grains  of  earth  that  fall  upon  her."  Andreia 
was  a  dangerous  and  wilful  woman ;  she  had  made  up  her 
mind,  since  die  she  must,  she  would  find  some  means  of 
teasing  her  husband  still.  The  first  week  after  the  funeral 
passed  off  most  happily  for  Busuioc;  his  hut  seemed  to 
him  a  quiet,  comfortable  place,  and  he  did  not  leave,  but 
on  Sunday  morning,  as  he  watched  a  group  of  peasant 
girls  who  returned  from  church,  he  noticed  that  one  of 


236  The  Tzigane  and  his  Wife. 

them  wore  a  pair  of  glittering  glass  earrings  as  green  as  the 
new-born  grass.  He  followed.  The  girls  stopped  under 
the  forest  trees,  undid  their  belts,  and  fell  to  sleep  in  the 
coolness  of  the  shade.  Then  it  was  Busuioc  approached 
with  stealthy  steps,  and  with  fingers  light  as  the  dew  took 
the  earrings  from  the  young  girl's  ears.  "  My  very  first 
present  to  Sultanica,"  said  he,  and  hid  the  earrings  in  his 
bosom,  and  awaited  with  some  impatience  the  next  day, 
when  he  was  to  meet  the  tziganca  he  loved. 

He  spent  the  afternoon  in  pleasant  thought  and  pleasant 
work.  Twilight  came  on,  then  darkness,  and  he  lit  his 
fire  and  sat  by  it,  and  lifted  the  green  earrings  to  the  light. 
"  They  shine  like  the  eyes  of  a  dragon,"  said  he,  and  smiled 
to  imagine  how  pretty  Sultanica  would  look  with  the  ear- 
rings dangling  about  her  face. — Rap,  rap!  a  loud  knock  at 
the  door.  "Who  is  there?"  "Andreia,  thy  true  wife!  I  have 
heard  of  those  green  earrings,  and  have  come  to  see  them." 
"Bother  the  dead  creature,"  said  Busuioc,  and  went  to  open. 
He  trembled  under  his  rags,  for  he  had  never  seen  the  soul 
of  the  dead  pay  a  visit  to  the  living,  and  a  kind  of  horror 
thrilled  him.  As  the  door  went  ajar  a  gust  of  wind  entered 
and  nothing  else,  but  when  he  turned  towards  the  fire  there 
stood  Andreia's  big  form,  wrapped  in  her  brown  mantle ; 
her  face  and  her  hands  were  invisible,  and  the  light  of  the 
fire  leapt  and  passed  through  her  like  a  sword  through  the 
mist.  "  Show  me  the  earrings,"  she  said,  and  she  spoke  so 
naturally  that  the  awe  of  Busuioc  vanished,  and  he  made 
the  earrings  glitter  before  the  shadow  of  his  dead  wife. 


The  Tzigane  and  his  Wife.  237 

"I will  take  them,"  said  she  in  a  greedy  voice ;  "  I  must  have 
them.  My  eyes  have  just  faded  in  my  sockets.  I  will  put 
these  glass  beads  to  replace  them,"  and  though  she  did  not 
stretch  her  hands  nor  make  a  movement,  the  earrings 
sprang  up  to  her  forehead,  and  Busuioc  saw  them  glisten 
behind  the  hood,  and  his  heart  grew  sick  within  his  body, 
but  he  could  not  speak.  "Farewell,"  said  Andreia  ;  "I  am 
satisfied  no  woman  is  here;  thou  hast  stolen  the  jewels  for 
me;  I  thank  thee,  my  dear  husband,"  and  she  disappeared. 
For  more  than  three  weeks  after  the  unwelcome  visit 
Busuioc  felt  uncomfortable  and  scarcely  left  his  hut;  he 
dared  not  even  think  of  Sultanica,  but  on  the  fourth  week 
he  met  her,  and  she  danced  before  him  and  delighted  his 
eyes:  "What  shall  I  give  thee  for  a  kiss,  Sultanica?" 
"A  nice  silver  belt,  and  I  will  come  myself  to  thy  hut  and 
fetch  it." 

He  stole  the  silver  belt  from  the  stall  of  the  merchant 
who  possessed  the  finest  merchandise  in  the  fair,  and  said 
to  Sultanica:  "I  will  take  the  belt  to  thee  myself."  But 
Sultanica  had  made  up  her  mind  to  visit  the  hut  of  Busuioc, 
as  she  also  liked  him.  Busuioc  hung  the  silver  belt  on  a 
nail,  and  on  the  night  of  the  day  he  had  stolen  it  he 
tremblingly  awaited  Andreia's  visit.  She  did  not  come. 
Busuioc  was  so  relieved  that  he  clapped  his  hands  and 
said  :  "  To-morrow  evening  I  will  take  the  present  to 
Sultanica,"  and  he  set  off  the  next  evening  with  the  silver 
belt  in  his  hand.  Now  Sultanica  had  also  set  off"  to  join 
him  in  his  dwelling,  but  as  they  took  another  way  they 


238  The  Tzigane  and  his  Wife. 

did  not  meet.  Sultanica  entered  the  hut ;  it  was  empty. 
"He'll  soon  return,"  thought  she,  and  sat  down  by  the  fire, 
and  laughed  to  reflect  how  pleased  Busuioc  would  be  to 
find  her  there. — Rap,  rap !  a  loud  knock.  "Who's  there  ?" 
"  Open,  I  am  Andreia,  thy  wife."  Sultanica  almost  fainted 
with  fear  :  "  Busuioc  is  not  here."  Andreia  recognized 
Sultanica's  voice,  pushed  the  door  and,  like  a  winter  gale, 
rushed  in.  She  was  wrapped  in  her  brown  mantle  and  her 
green  eyes  glittered,  and  she  said :  "Ah!  thou  hast  come 
about  that  silver  belt,  and  I  am  his  true  wife,  and  I  wanted 
it  to  keep  my  bones  together,  as  they're  falling  ofT!  Ah  ! 
thou  hast  come  to  steal  my  true  husband  from  me,  because 
thou  art  young  and  beautiful,  and  I  am  dead.  Come,  I 
will  take  thee  to  the  place  where  I  dwell.  Come,  I  say." 
Sultanica  by  this  time  was  half  mad  with  fear,  and  as 
Andreia's  shadow  said:  "Come!  "  she  fell  to  the  ground 
and  never  rose  again.  Busuioc  found  the  dead  girl's  body 
by  his  waning  fire,  and  over  her  the  brown  mantle  in 
which  he  had  buried  Andreia. 


CH1SWICK  PRESS  :    PRINTED   BY  CHARLES  WHITTINGHAM  AND  CO. 
TOOKS  COURT,  CHANCERY  LANE,  LONDON. 


THE  BARD  OF  THE  DIMBOVITZA.  Roumanian 
Folk  Songs,  collected  from  the  Peasants  by  Helene  Va- 
caresco.  Translated  by  Carmen  Sylva  and  Alma  Strettell. 
With  an  Introduction  by  Carmen  Sylva. 

"  The  poems  have  the  wild  melancholy  and  the  fierce  simplicity  of 
all  true  popular  ballads,  with  an  undertone  of  ghastly  mystery  that 
reminds  one  of  the  Highland  second-sight  and  Irish  fairy  tales.  .  .  . 
They  are  directly,  passionately,  fiercely  human  j  rich  with  a  poetic 
sympathy  with  external  nature,  but  regarding  it  almost  as  the  com- 
rade and  friend  of  man.  .  .  .  There  are  elements  of  the  Greek  joy  in 
all  beautiful  sights  and  sounds  .  .  .  but  there  is  also  a  fierce  love  of 
battle  and  of  blood,  such  as  rings  through  the  Nibelungen  epic." — 
Frederic  Harrison  in  The  Fortnightly  Review. 

World. — "A  real  treasure-trove,  a  valuable  addition  to  the  litera- 
ture of  the  world." 

Notes  and  Queries. — "  We  know  nothing  in  folk-songs  and  little  in 
literature  like  these  productions.  They  come  straight  from  the  heart 
of  a  people,  and  have  a  passionate  intensity  and  poetry  like  nothing 
else  with  which  we  are  familiar.  ...  In  the  way  in  which  they  fulfil 
that  highest  function  of  imaginative  poetry,  eliciting  from  inanimate 
nature  sympathetic  response  to  human  aspiration  and  passion,  they 
are  almost  unique.  Thus  each  poem  is  wrung  out  of  the  heart  of  a 
peasant — a  passionate,  suffering  peasant — the  expression  of  coarse 
enjoyment  of  life  is  marvellous,  and  the  poignancy  of  anguish  is 
expressed  in  language  that  can  only  be  beaten,  and  rarely  then,  in 
the  Elizabethan  drama." 

Manchester  Guardian. — "  Few  translations  of  the  same  type  can 
stand  comparison  with  Fitzgerald's  embroidery  of  Omar,  yet  one 
certainly  receives  something  of  the  same  keen  impression  of  freshness 
and  choiceness  from  these  songs." 

Times. — "  The  translation  is  full  of  poetical  feeling,  and  does  credit 
to  its  joint  authors.  The  Dimbovitza  is  now  a  classic  with  which 
every  person  of  intelligence  ought  to  possess  some  acquaintance." 


U.C.BERKELEY  LI 


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